Published July 24, 2020
MELROSE — Melrose voters have begun receiving Official Vote by Mail Applications in their mail boxes. These application cards were sent to all registered voters by the Secretary of State’s office and should be delivered to all households over the next few days.
In response to the health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, the Commonwealth has made Voting by Mail available to all Massachusetts registered voters for the upcoming 2020 Elections. Vote by Mail enables all voters to exercise their right to vote, while limiting their potential exposure to COVID-19.
How Vote by Mail Works
Melrose voters can return their completed Official Vote by Mail Application postcard by dropping it in a mailbox (postage is prepaid, no need for a stamp) or dropping it in the mail slot in the Essex Street door at City Hall. The Melrose Elections Office will process these applications and, once ballots are available, will mail ballots directly to the voters who have requested them. Voters should then complete the ballot, seal it in the envelope as instructed, and return it to the Elections Office via mail, or by dropping it off at City Hall. To ensure all votes are properly counted, all Mail-in Ballots will be logged and processed upon receipt, the ballots will then be tabulated through the voting machine on Election Day by Elections Staff.
Voters who have already submitted an Absentee Ballot Application or Mail-in Voting Application do not need to return the postcard. For those who would prefer to send the application electronically, the Vote by Mail Application is available on the city’s website at www.cityofmelrose.org/elections, and can be emailed to elections@cityofmelrose.org.
Vote by Mail is one of three ways voters can cast a ballot in September and November. The other options are Early Voting prior to Election Day, and voting in person on Election Day itself.
Early Voting will take place daily at Memorial Hall, 590 Main Street from August 22-28 for the September 1 Primary Election and October 17- 30 for the November 3 General Election.
This year in Melrose, Election Day will also look quite different—polling locations for all Wards and Precincts have been changed to the Melrose Veteran’s Memorial Middle School Gymnasium Complex, which can be accessed from Melrose Street. All voters will continue to vote according to their current Ward and Precinct, which will be clearly labelled within the gymnasium complex.
Stay tuned for more elections updates over the next several weeks. Any questions should be directed to the Melrose Elections Department at 781-979-4125 or elections@cityofmelrose.org.