(Host) Early voting for the November election is under way in Vermont Towns.
Town clerks are handling thousands of requests for the ballots.
In Bennington 400 have been sent out so far. In Essex, more than 600, and in Shelburne over 800 ballots have gone out.
Secretary of State Deb Markowitz says there have been questions about whether all the intended recipients have actually requested those ballots.
(Markowitz) “Our office has looked into those complaints and we do know that this election – the clerks are really talking about it. They’re seeing more requests and more incidents of confusion over whether or not voter really intended to vote absentee.”
(Host) Markowitz says political parties and campaigns are all very actively using the system to try to get out the vote this year.
(Markowitz) “There’s no question that a person has to actually be requesting the ballot in order for a party on their behalf to ask the clerk to have one sent. In fact it’s in the party’s interest and the campaign’s interest to get it right. Because it’s their voters and they don’t want to turn their voters away or turn their voters off.”
(Host) Markowitz says that if a voter gets a ballot they didn’t request, they should call the town clerk or save the ballot and take it to the polls on Election Day.