With the Nov. 5 general election just weeks away, communities in the area have released voter information for residents to follow.
Potential voters have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 26 to register to vote and until Oct. 29 to request a vote-by-mail ballot.
Northampton
According to an announcement from Northampton’s Board of Registrars, early voting for all Northampton voters will take place in the hearing room at City Hall on Oct. 19 and 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Oct. 21 to 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Parking for early voting will be available on Crafts Avenue.
The Board of Registrars also announced that mail-in ballots submitted to the city clerk by the close of business on Nov. 4 will be counted at the polls on Nov. 5. Any mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Nov. 5, and received by 5 p.m. on Nov. 8 will be counted at a public meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the City Hall hearing room.
People can visit the state website to check the status of their application if they ordered an early vote ballot: tinyurl.com/29yruss6.
Anyone looking to submit a by-mail ballot can mail it to the city clerk, by dropping it off in the City Hall grey drop box on the front steps or by dropping it off in the city clerk’s office. The drop box is open from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. from Monday through Friday during election season.
Ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place during election day.
“We expect voter turnout to be strong for Northampton,” said the Board of Registrars in their announcement. “Considerable planning is done to assure that our elections are efficient, fair and conducted according to the local, state and federal regulations.”
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and polling locations for this year are at Jackson Street Elementary School, Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School, the senior center, Florence Civic Center, Ryan Road School, JFK Middle School and Leeds Elementary School.
Amherst
Early in-person voting will be conducted in the first-floor meeting room in Town Hall on Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 21 to 25 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Those voting by mail can return the ballot by mail, in-person at the town clerk’s office or by dropping it off in the election drop box located outside the entrance to Town Hall.
Ballots must be received by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.
Voters can find where they are voting by visiting this website: sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/WhereDoIVote. According to the town of Amherst, Precinct 1-A voters will vote at North Amherst Library.
Easthampton
In Easthampton, mail-in ballots can be submitted through the mail, by placing them in the drop box at the municipal building or by hand delivering it to the city clerk’s office.
All voting on Nov. 5 will be conducted at Easthampton High School and all early voting will be conducted at the municipal building at 50 Payson Ave.
According to the city, early voting will happen from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 19, Oct. 21 to 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 28 to 31 from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon.
