Voters urged to update mailing addresses by Sept. 1
August 23, 2026 | By Waterbury Roundabout UPDATE: This post was updated on Aug. 25 with a statement from the secretary of state regarding a Monday U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the United States Postal Service’s role in handling election ballots.
For the November General Election, all active registered Vermont voters will be mailed their ballots and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas encourages voters to ensure their registration has their current address.
Voters can expect to receive their ballots by mid-October. The deadline to update your mailing address is Tuesday, Sept. 1.
“After September 1st, the mailing address on your voter record is where we’re going to send your ballot this fall,” explained Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “So, while it might feel like the General Election is far away, now is the time to make sure you receive your ballot smoothly!”
This message has not changed this week following a Monday U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the U.S. Postal Service and its role in moving election ballots. The order overturned a court order blocked the implementation of a postal service rule on mail-in voting that proposes a myriad of new mailing requirements such as only mailing ballots to those on a federal list of approved voters.
Copeland Hanzas on Tuesday emphasized that another court order blocking the postal service rules from moving forward remains in place. This would mean that Vermont’s plans for universal vote-by-mail remain unchanged, she noted.
“I am disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday, but it does not change the status quo: USPS cannot move forward with its rule-making process until all legal challenges are resolved, and plenty remain. As such, my office and Vermont’s municipal clerks will continue our work to prepare for the General Election this November, which we expect will employ the usual universal vote-by-mail format Vermonters have become accustomed to. I will continue to work closely with the Vermont Attorney General’s office to monitor all pending litigation and defend Vermont’s elections,” she said.
Additional litigation to challenge the postal service’s rule-making efforts on this issue is expected in the coming days ahead of the election.
Copeland Hanzas and Gov. Phil Scott on Tuesday discussed voting, the upcoming election, and updates to the state’s voter rolls to remove nearly 900 people incorrectly registered through an automatic system with the Department of Motor Vehicles. The move came after records were examined and errors were found; state officials say they will continue to monitor the system to ensure individuals who do not want to be registered are not added to voter checklists. See VTDigger’s report on that news here.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State’s office reminds Vermont voters to be sure their information on file is up-to-date. That’s particularly important in instances where:
Voters have moved or changed their mailing address within the same town and need to update their information.
Voters have moved to a new town in Vermont and need to re-register to vote in that new town.
Voters who will be away from their usual mailing address in late September or early October (including college students) should submit an absentee ballot request with that different address. This includes voters who vote under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, including military members who are overseas or stationed in the U.S. Service members and overseas citizens are eligible to receive their ballot electronically on Sept. 18.
Voters can verify their address and request an absentee ballot online at the Vermont Voter Portal – vote.vermont.gov – or by contacting their town or city clerk.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The following offices are up for election: U.S. Representative to Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts, Attorney General, all 30 State Senate seats, all 150 State Representative seats, Probate Judges, Assistant Judges, States Attorneys, Sheriffs, High Bailiffs, and Justices of the Peace. Two constitutional amendments are also on this year’s General Election ballot.