Residents will soon have their first opportunity to vote in this year’s Nov. 5 state and presidential election. Beginning on Oct. 19, early voting will open in East Longmeadow, Hampden, Longmeadow and Wilbraham.
Early voting allows registered residents to vote prior to the Nov. 5 election, creating additional flexibility to encourage a larger turnout at polls. The opportunity is one of four ways that residents can vote during this election with other ways including mail-in voting, absentee ballots and election day voting.
Residents can register to vote until Oct. 26 and apply for a mail-in ballot until Oct. 29. Voter registration is offered online at sec.state.ma.us/ovr as well as at the town clerk’s office or by mail.
East Longmeadow
East Longmeadow’s early in-person voting will be at the East Longmeadow Public Library, 60 Center Sq., in the library conference room, Town Clerk Jeanne Quaglietti said. This time and location differs from Election Day voting on Nov. 5.
Early voting will officially open on Saturday, Oct. 19 and be offered for two weeks until Friday, Nov. 1. Voting times will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weekdays of Oct. 21-25, and Oct. 28 to Nov. 1. Saturday hours will also be available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 26, Quaglietti stated.
The final day to register to vote is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 26 in the library conference room. Mail-in ballot applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Oct. 29 and applications for in-person absentee ballots will be accepted until 12 p.m. on Nov. 4, Quaglietti said.
For any questions, contact Quaglietti by email at clerks@eastlongmeadowma.gov or by phone at 413-525-5400, ext. 1000. Sample ballots and other additional information is available online at eastlongmeadowma.gov/156/Elections.
Hampden
Voting in Hampden will be offered at the Hampden Town House from Saturday, Oct. 19, to Thursday, Oct. 31, Town Clerk Eva Wiseman stated.
Available weekday hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 24, as well as Tuesday and Thursday, Oct. 29 and 31. For residents attending weekend hours, early voting will be open on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wiseman said.
In Hampden, residents interested in mail-in voting can send an application until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Final mail-in votes can be sent to the Town Clerk until 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, if postmarked by Nov. 5. They can be submitted by mail, in-person and in the Town Clerk drop box, Wiseman stated. Likewise, absentee ballots can be submitted by mail or in-person. Applications are available online at hampdenma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif656/f/uploads/absentee-ballot-application_-_jpeg.pdf.
Wiseman can be reached by phone at 413-566-2151, ext. 103.
Longmeadow
Longmeadow residents can visit the Community House, located at 735 Longmeadow St., between Oct. 19 and Nov. 1 to participate in early voting, Town Clerk Timothy Donnelly stated. Residents do not need to call prior to attending in-person early voting.
Early voting hours will be Friday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday to Thursday, Oct. 21-24, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 25, from 8:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Monday to Thursday, Oct. 28-31, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to Donnelly. Mail-in ballot applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 29.
More information is available online at longmeadowma.gov/1571/Voting-Information as well as by contacting the Town Clerk’s office at 413-565-4103 or townclerk@longmeadow.org.
Wilbraham
In Wilbraham, early in-person voting is offered at the Town Hall on 240 Springfield St. during two weeks of available hours. These hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, Oct. 21, to Friday, Oct. 25, and Monday, Oct. 28, to Friday, Nov. 1, in addition to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, and 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, Town Clerk Deborah Brennan stated.
Residents can visit the Town Clerk’s office for voter registration or to change their party enrollment Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the final day being Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the town. To register, residents must be age 18 or older and a U.S. citizen.
For more information about early voting or to review voting status, contact 413-596-2800, ext. 200.
