Tuesday marks the first National Voter Registration Day, and election officials are urging citizens to fill out their paperwork well before the first Tuesday in November.
Vermont is one of 25 states where voters can not only register, but they can also cast their ballot in person.
Secretary of State Jim Condos estimates that 25 percent of all voters will use this system this year. In South Burlington, a handful of voters have already done so and dozens have requested mail-in ballots.
Retired nurse Mary Cross recently moved back to South Burlington from Phoenix, and she’s opted to send in her ballot this week.
"I want to be sure my vote is counted," Cross said as she registered Monday at the town clerk’s office in South Burlington, wearing a red re-elect Bernie Sanders T-shirt.
In the presidential race, Cross says her mind is already made up and there’s nothing the candidates could do or say to change her mind between now and November.
"Absolutely not. No. I know who I’m voting for," Cross said. "The sooner I can do it the better."
Election officials in Vermont and across the country say their highest priority is a practical one rather than a political one: to increase voter participation.
Learn how to register to vote in Vermont here and about voting by early or absentee ballot here.