How to Fill Out an Application to Receive an

Absentee Ballot for the January 23, 2024

Presidential Primary

You may download and print an application here. If you don't have a printer,  contact Anne Huberman to get a copy.

Here's how to fill out each section:

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

If you are already registered to vote in Peterborough at your RiverMead address, check the first box.  If you are not sure if you are registered, you may check here. If you have not yet registered in Peterborough and qualify to receive absentee registration materials by mail, check the second box in Section I. The Secretary of State issued this clarification of "Public Health Considerations and Absentee Voting" that you might possibly apply to your concern about COVID-19 or other health concerns if you are truly limiting public exposure in your day-to-day life.  If you don't qualify for absentee registration, you should register in person with the Town Clerk. See further instructions about registering here.  If you need help registering to vote, please contact Mary Vallier-Kaplan.

Choose the reason that applies. You may check the fifth box, stating that "I am unable to vote in person due to a disability" if you have a physical disability or if you qualify under the Secretary of State's clarification of "Public Health Considerations and Absentee Voting."

Turn the form over and print your last, first, and middle names.  Then print your RiverMead address including your unit #.  Leave the ward blank.  (Peterborough does not have wards.)  If you will be away and want the ballot mailed to a different address, fill that in. Otherwise leave that second address blank.  Then fill in your phone number and email address (if you have one) so that you can be contacted if there are any questions about your application.  Then sign your name and fill in the date.  Your application will be rejected if it has no signature.  (In 2018 a federal judge ruled that local election officials cannot reject absentee ballots merely because they think the voter's signature looks different than it does on an earlier affidavit, calling the process "fundamentally flawed." Town clerks no longer try to match signatures.)  If someone has helped you fill out the form, have that person sign and print his or her name in the last part of the form.

When you have completed your application, return it to the Town Clerk as soon as possible so that there will be time to receive your ballot by mail, fill it out, and return it by mail.      These are ways you may get your application to the Town Clerk:

By mail: Send it to

     Linda Guyette, Town Clerk

     1 Grove Street

     Peterborough, NH  03458

By email:  Fill out the form on paper, sign it, scan it, and attach it to an email message to

     TOWNCLERK@PETERBOROUGHNH.GOV

By Fax: Fax it to

     (603) 924-8001

If the time is too short, you may take your application to the Town Clerk's office, show a valid picture ID, receive your absentee ballot, fill it out, and hand it in.  Or you may send someone to hand deliver your completed absentee ballot to the Town Clerk.  State law is very specific about who may deliver it.

You can check the status of your absentee ballot at this website.  Be sure to scroll down to see the results of your search.

Instructions for filling out your ballot can be found here.

Check the appropriate box to indicate whether you are registered in a party or are undeclared.