Voting in Gloucester on Nov. 3: two ballot cards, the 150 foot rule and how write ins count

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls in Gloucester are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., the City Clerk's office says. On Friday it posted a list of things voters should know before they go.

Two ballot cards

The Nov. 3 state election ballot has two cards, the city says. If you vote by mail, put both cards back in the envelope, and sign the affidavit envelope before you return it.

Campaign items stay 150 feet away

Campaigning for or against a candidate or a ballot question is not allowed within 150 feet of a polling place. That includes signs, clothing, stickers and pins. The city asks voters to take off or cover those items before they go in, or they may be asked to leave until they do.

If you are listed as an inactive voter

Voters who did not answer the city census or a confirmation mailing may be listed as inactive. They can still vote. See the warden or clerk at the polls to fill out a form confirming where you live, and bring an ID or an official document with your current name and address.

Marking the ballot

• Fill in the oval to the right of your choice.
• To write in someone, write the name in the write in space and fill in the oval next to it.
• A write in for governor and lieutenant governor needs both names. With only one name, it counts as blank.
• Writing in the name of someone already printed on the ballot also counts as blank.

Mail and early ballots

Absentee, mail and early in person ballots are checked in at the polls on Election Day, taken out of their envelopes and run through the ballot counting machine there, the city says.

Observers

Anyone can watch the voting from behind the guardrail at a polling place. Observers may speak only with the warden, who runs the polling place, and the warden can limit how many there are if the room gets crowded. The city encourages, but does not require, telling the clerk's office ahead of time.

Anything suspicious at a polling place should be reported to the City Clerk right away.

Questions

Call the City Clerk's office at 978-325-5120 or email [email protected]. Ask the clerk's office if you are not sure where your precinct votes.

Earlier coverage: Saturday, Oct. 24, is the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 3 state election (Oct. 23), with early voting hours in Gloucester and Rockport and the vote by mail deadline.