Absentee Voting

PLEASE NOTE: AN ABSENTEE BALLOT CANNOT BE HAND-CARRIED OUT OF THE OFFICE UNLESS THE VOTER QUALIFIES FOR AN EMERGENCY BALLOT.

Election Date: September 19, 2023 City Preliminary
In Office Absentee Voting Deadline: 12 PM, Monday, September 18th
Application Deadline: 5 PM, Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Election Date: November 7, 2023 City Election
In Office Absentee Voting Deadline: 12 PM, Monday, November 6th
Application Deadline: 5 PM, Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Eligibility

To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must:

Be away from Westfield on Election Day; or
Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or
Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election Day

Absentee voters use the same ballots as early voters and have the same deadlines for returning their ballots. Most voters who qualify for an absentee ballot can choose instead to apply for an early Vote by Mail ballot. There are some times that an absentee ballot application is needed. You should fill out an absentee ballot application if:

You are a U.S. Citizen residing overseas; or
You are on active military duty; or
You are currently incarcerated for a reason other than a felony conviction; or
You are requesting an emergency absentee ballot due to hospitalization.

If you do not qualify to vote by absentee, you may Early Vote by mail.

How to Apply

The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail will be 5 p.m. on the 5th business day before an election. The voter or voter’s family member may download an absentee ballot application or write a request and send it to the City Clerk’s office by email to votewestfield@cityofwestfield.org , by fax to 413-564-3114, by mail to: City Clerk, 59 Court St, Westfield, MA 01085 or by hand-delivery by placing it into the WHITE drop box located outside of City Hall. When submitting applications or written requests by e-mail, the "hand written" signature of the person requesting the ballot must be visible; cursive font or electronic signature attachments are UNACCEPTABLE. Also, if the application or written request is being submitted by e-mail, a scanned copy of the request must be attached. The written request for an absentee ballot must include all of the following: full name of voter, legal voting address, mailing address (if different), indicate date of election or all elections for current year and hand-written signature.

Use the Track My Ballot link to check the status of your ballot. The tracker will show the date your ballot was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.

Please note that absentee ballot applications expire at the end of each calendar year. If you are a voter with a permanent physical disability, you may file a doctor’s note to that effect with the City Clerk’s Office. Voters with permanent physical disabilities are sent absentee ballot applications at the beginning of each year, to complete, sign and return to the City Clerk’s office.

Vote by Mail Accommodations

Accessible vote by mail ballots are available for certain voters. If you are blind or have a vision impairment, have a mobility or dexterity disability, or have another disability that makes it difficult for you to mark a paper ballot, you can request an accessible vote by mail ballot. For more information please visit the Accessible Vote by Mail page.

Emergency Ballot

If you have been admitted to a healthcare facility within 7 days of an election, you may use the absentee ballot application to designate someone to pick up your emergency absentee ballot, deliver it to you, and return it to the Westfield City Clerk's Office by the close of polls on Election Day. You may submit the completed and signed absentee ballot application by email (m.colon@cityofwestfield.org), fax (413-564-3114) or in person (please call 572-6266 to make arrangement).

Returning Your ballot

Ballots must be received by the City Clerk's before or on Election Day (September 19th and November 7th) no later than 7 PM.

There are several options for returning your ballot. You may return your ballot by:

Mailing it back using the envelope provided; or
Hand-delivering your ballot to the City Clerk's office 59 Court Street, Room 210, Floor #2
Using the WHITE ballot drop box located outside of Westfield City Hall

Ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day.

Absentee Voting In Person

Absentee voters may vote in person at the City Clerk's office at 59 Court Street, Room 210. The last day to vote by absentee in person is the day before an election and no later than 12 PM.

PLEASE NOTE: The last day to vote in person by absentee for the September 19th City Preliminary, will be Monday, September 18th and for the November 7th City Election, will be Monday, November 6th.

All Mail-In Ballots are Counted

Except for ballots which are rejected as defective or incomplete, all absentee ballots are cast and counted by the poll workers on Election Day. Absentee and Early ballots are included in the final tallies, and are counted whether or not an election contains a close race.

Please contact the City Clerk’s office with questions or concerns by email votewestfield@cityofwestfield.org or by phone at 413-572-6266.