Voting by Mail in 2021

Currently, no-excuse voting by mail has been extended by the state law until June 30, 2021. No-excuse voting by mail is a type of early voting, and it is available for all elections held on or before June 30. If you are applying to vote by mail in a town election or special election being held on or before June 30, you may use the Vote by Mail Application (PDF) to request your ballot.

The Massachusetts Legislature is currently considering proposals that could make no-excuse voting by mail a permanent option for all elections. If you are interested in voting by mail in an election held after June 30, which includes most 2021 city elections, please check this page at a later date for updates on no-excuse voting by mail eligibility or read the information on absentee voting below to decide whether you qualify for an absentee ballot.

To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must:

  • Be away from your city/town on Election Day; or
  • Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or
  • Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election Day

For elections held through June 30, 2021, state law clarifies that any person taking precautions relating to COVID-19 qualifies for an absentee ballot by reason of physical disability.

In Massachusetts, absentee voting is available in all elections, while early voting only in certain elections. The two systems overlap in several ways, but the most important difference is that absentee voters must have an excuse (listed above), while there is no excuse needed in order to vote early.

In elections in which early voting is available, there may still be certain circumstances when it would be appropriate to apply for an absentee ballot instead of an early ballot.

You should complete an absentee ballot application if you are:

  • A military voter on active duty;
  • A Massachusetts citizen residing outside of the United States;
  • A voter who has been admitted to the hospital within 1 week of the election;
  • A voter who has been quarantined within 1 week of the election;
  • A voter who is incarcerated.

Absentee and early Vote by Mail ballots must be requested in writing at least 4 business days before Election Day. Applications are available for download below, but any written request is acceptable if it has your signature on it. For absentee ballot applications, a member of your family may also make the request on your behalf.

Applications can be submitted by mail, email, or fax. If you are emailing your application, you may either scan or take a photo of your signed application and email it to Sudbury Water District, or you may sign your application using a mouse, finger, or stylus and email the completed and signed attachment. Typed signatures are not acceptable.

If you are not able to print the application, you may request one be mailed to you or you may write a letter to Sudbury Water District (P.O. Box 111 Sudbury, MA 01776) or send an email requesting your ballot. Make sure to include your name, your address, the place you would like the ballot mailed, and your signature.

If you need an application mailed to you, you may contact the Elections Division at 1-800-462-VOTE (8683) or elections@sec.state.ma.us or you may contact Sudbury Water District directly by phone 978.443.6602 or email.

If you have been admitted to a healthcare facility or you are instructed to quarantine in your home within 1 week of the election, you may use the absentee ballot application to designate someone of your choice to deliver a ballot to you.

The person you designate to deliver your ballot will need to bring the signed application to the Sudbury Water District administration office (199 Raymond Road, Sudbury, MA 01776), pick up your absentee ballot, bring it to you, and return it for you by the close of polls on Election Day. Emergency ballots may be requested up until the close of polls.

Ballots may be returned by mail or in-person to Sudbury Water District’s administration office located at 199 Raymond Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. The District has made available a secure ballot drop-box, located immediately in front of the administration office’s main entrance door, ballots can be submitted to that drop-box.

Ballots must reach the Sudbury Water District by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.

The definition of a qualified legal voter of the District shall have the same meaning and shall be deemed to be synonymous with references to a legal voter of the District, a qualified voter within the District, voters living within the District, a legal voter of the Sudbury Water District, or to a member of the District and shall be defined as:

  • (i) a registered voter within the Town of Sudbury who is;
  • (ii) a resident whose primary place of residence is within the geographical confines of the Sudbury Water District and;
  • (iii) with said property being serviced by the District.

For the purposes of determining whether said property is being serviced by the District said property must be connected to the District and must be in use by virtue of the existence of an active account for service and with service actually being provided by the District.

Except for ballots which are rejected as defective, all absentee ballots are cast and counted by the poll workers on Election Day. Absentee ballots are included in the final tallies, and are counted whether or not an election contains a close race.

Questions pertaining to voting by mail or absentee ballots for the Sudbury Water District May 18th election should be addressed to our administration staff:

Sudbury Water District
199 Raymond Road
P.O. Box 111
Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776

Phone: 978.443.6602
Fax: 978.443.9587
Email: customerservice@sudburywater.com

Download Absentee Ballot Application
Download Vote by Mail Application