City Clerks Around The State Prepare For Deluge Of Mail-In Ballots

MARLBORO (CBS) – The demand is high for mail-in ballots in Marlboro.

I think the biggest challenge is just trying to stay on top of the volume," City Clerk Steve Kerrigan said. Kerrigan estimates the requests for mail-in ballots are triple or quadruple what the city usually sees in a presidential election year.

With the state primary a week away, cities and towns are dealing with a crush of applications for mail-in ballots. Last month, a new law was passed that allows voters to bypass going to the polls and vote by mail without a reason. While the law is controversial, it appears to be popular.

Kerrigan said everyone has his or her own opinion about the law, but he feels confident that city and town clerks can step up and get the applications processed so that everyone who wants a ballot gets one.

City clerks with limited budgets said they are bringing in extra help and are keeping track of expenses. The Secretary of State's Office said there could be reimbursements for municipalities under what's called an unfunded mandate, similar to what the state did with early voting.

In the end, Kerrigan said anyone who wants to vote by mail will get a ballot if they get their applications in by Aug. 26.

"We'll make sure that you're able to cast your ballot. So it'll be little longer an election night than normal, but we will make sure all ballots are counted," Kerrigan said.

If you are planning to vote by mail, be sure your ballot is returned by the time polls close on Sept. 1 – Election Day.