SUNDERLAND — In advance of the presidential election next month, Town Clerk Wendy Houle said she believes the total number of mail-in ballots she’s sending to voters has doubled compared to the state primary in September.
“I believe I’m sending over 1,000 ballots out now,” she said, though final numbers haven’t been counted. As of the state primary, the town had 2,440 registered voters.
The ballots for mail-in voting arrived to Houle’s office on Monday, she said, though she was unable to send all of them, as the town is waiting on the state to send more envelopes.
Houle noted she was nervous about the arrival of ballots just a month before the Nov. 3 election.
“October 5 only gives less than a month to get ballots back from people who are not in Sunderland,” she noted. “It’s tough.”
At a Selectboard meeting on Monday, Houle advised voters to track their ballots online if they’ve opted to vote by mail. Tracking is available through the town website at townofsunderland.us, under “Voting Information.”
“If you don’t get one by next week, you should contact me to figure out why you don’t have one,” she said. “Same thing with returning. … Closer to the election, if you see I haven’t received one if you did it by mail, then calling me is a good thing because you can come in and vote, and make sure your vote is counted.”
Selectboard Chair David Pierce also advised voters to call or check their ballot status online if they have concerns.
“Things are pretty organized in the voting department,” he said. “You’ll just want to get your ballots in as soon as possible to leave a nice buffer.”
Houle also suggested voters use the new dropbox, located at the entrance at the back of Town Hall, to submit their ballots.
“It’s big, it’s secure,” she said. “It’s a good way to know we’ve received it.”
Houle said that on election day itself, voters can expect to see fewer voting booths at the polling station, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If you’re going to vote on election day, either plan to wait or try to go at an off time,” Houle said.
In-person voting on Nov. 3 is scheduled for 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sunderland Public Library.
Hours for voting early in-person, which begin on Oct. 17, can also be found on the town website. As will be the case for election day, voters are asked to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing.
Those who don’t wish to share items with other voters are also advised to bring a black ink Sharpie or Paper Mate Flair pen and clipboard.
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne