• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Board of Directors
    • LWV Mission Statement
    • Bylaws of the LWVN
    • LWVN Non-Partisan Policy
    • LWVN Diversity Policy
    • LWVN Handbook
    • Annual Meetings
    • Newton League Past Presidents
    • Jane Leighton Volunteer-of-the-Year Award
    • LWVN Scholarship Program
  • News and Events
    • News & Events
    • The League Presents…
    • Newsletters
  • New Member FAQ
  • Contact Us
LWV Newton logo
  • Facebook

Visit us on Facebook!

  • Learn
    • Learn
    • The League Presents…
    • Topic Meetings
    • Newton Civics Challenge
  • Act/Advocate
    • Act/Advocate
    • LWVN Positions and Program
    • Issues We Are Following
    • LWVN Observer Corps
    • LWVN Local Action Log
    • Consensus Studies
    • National and State Positions
  • Vote
    • Vote
    • How to Register to Vote
    • How to Pick a Candidate
    • How, When and Where to Vote
    • Massachusetts Voters Bill of Rights
    • Your Elected Officials
    • Tips for Contacting Elected Officials

How to Register to Vote

Are you registered to vote? Do you want to change your party, your address, your name?

Newton residents can visit Newton’s Office of the Election Commission for detailed voter registration information:

NEWTON
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
1000 COMMONWEALTH AV
NEWTON, MA 02459
Phone: 617-796-1200
Fax: 617-796-1214
Email: elections@newtonma.gov

Who may register to vote in Massachusetts?

Any resident of Massachusetts may submit an application to register or pre-register to vote in Massachusetts if:

  • You are a citizen of the United States; and
  • You are 16 years old; and
  • You are not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.

Residents who will be 18 years old by the date of the next election may register to vote. Residents aged 16 and 17 can pre-register to vote, so that when they turn 18 they will be automatically registered.

Where do you register?

If you meet the above registration requirements, a Massachusetts resident may apply in-person, by mail, or online.  In addition, as of January 1, 2020, if you are a U.S. citizen applying for or renewing a driver’s license or state ID at the RMV, or applying for health insurance through MassHealth or the Commonwealth Health Connector, you will be automatically registered to vote, unless you opt out of registering.  See Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth Voter Registration Information.

In Person. You may register to vote in person at any registration event, in any local election office, as well as the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office. Voter registration is also available at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and at certain public assistance agencies. Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid as of the day that they are signed.

You can also register to vote through the Registry of Motor Vehicles when you renew or apply for your driver’s license.

By Mail.  You may complete and sign a mail-in voter registration affidavit, fold as directed, complete the address for the local election office in the city or town where you live, place a first-class stamp in the upper right-hand corner and mail.  For Newton residents, you can mail your application to: Election Commission, Newton City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., Newton MA 02459. The mail-in form must be postmarked no later than the voter registration deadline. The mail-in form may also be hand-delivered to your local election office.  You may download a voter registration form here.

More information for Newton residents is available on the Office of Election Commission page of the City of Newton, Mass., website.

Online. In order to register to vote online, you must have a signature on file with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. If you currently have a Massachusetts driver’s license or state ID card, you may use the online voter registration application to register, update your address, or change your party affiliation. Voter registration forms submitted online must be submitted by midnight on the date of the voter registration deadline.

Automatic Voter Registration:  As of January 1, 2020, if you are a Massachusetts citizen conducting certain transactions through the Registry of Motor Vehicles, MassHealth, and the Commonwealth Health Connector and you do not opt out of registering to vote, you will automatically become registered to vote.

If you do not opt out of registering, you will automatically be registered to vote when you:

  • Apply for or renew a driver’s license
  • Apply for or renew a learner’s permit
  • Apply for or renew a state ID
  • Apply for MassHealth benefits online, in person, or by phone.
  • Apply for health insurance through the Commonwealth Health Connector

If you do not wish to be registered to vote, or you do not wish to be registered at the address you use with the RMV, MassHealth, or the Health Connector, you may opt out of registering.

If you opt out of registering to vote, or if your citizenship has not been confirmed by the RMV, MassHealth, or the Health Connector, you will not be registered to vote. If you do not opt out and your citizenship is confirmed, your name, address, and date of birth will be sent to your local election official to be added to the voter list and you will receive mailed confirmation of your registration within 2-3 weeks.

Learn more about automatic voter registration.

What are the registration deadlines?

  • Twenty (20) days before a state or national election
  • Twenty (20) days before city or town elections, town meetings, special primaries and special elections
  • Ten (10) days before special town meetings

Can You Vote if You Can’t Get to the Polls on Election Day?

Absentee voting is available for all elections if you will be away from your city or town on Election Day, have a physical disability or cannot vote at the polls on Election Day due to religious beliefs.  Information on Absentee Voting can be found on the How, When and Where to Vote page of this website.

Contacts for further voter registration information:

  • Massachusetts Secretary of State – Elections Division (617-727-2828)
  • Project Vote Smart — Massachusetts
  • League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (617-523-2999)
  • Voter Information at 617-723-1421 or toll-free 800-882-1649

Primary Sidebar

Support LWVN

Join/Renew
Donate

Upcoming Events

Jun 12
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Join us via Zoom for our 2022 Annual Meeting

View Calendar

Watch “The League Presents…”

The League Presents... is a monthly program on NewTV produced and directed by LWVN members about issues important to our community.

  • The League Presents: Zoning Redesign, part 1
  • The League Presents: Newton’s Citizens Commission on Energy
  • The League Presents: What it means to be a League of Women Voters member
  • The League Presents: A Conversation with Three New School Committee Members
  • The League Presents: A Conversation with Congressional District 4 Director Dana Hanson

All past programs

Take Action & Contact Your Legislators

  • Support An Act Promoting Community Immunity
  • Support Public Health Measures 
  • Support Racial and Gender Parity
  • Take Action on the Votes Act
  • Potential Cuts to MBTA Service

LWV Mass. & US

LWV MA LWV US

2021 LWVN Member Handbook

An updated electronic version LWVN Member Handbook is now available!

Election Info

  • Find your polling location
  • Register to vote
  • Absentee Ballots

Posts by Category

  • VOTE – Voters Service
    • Elections
    • Candidate Forums
    • Voter Registration
  • LEARN – Topics of Interest
    • Charter Commission
    • Community Preservation
    • Education
    • Environmental Issues
    • Housing
    • Land Use
    • Municipal Finance
    • Transportation
    • Women’s Suffrage
  • ACT – Action & Advocacy
    • Local Action Log
    • Consensus Studies – MA
    • Consensus Studies – Newton
    • Consensus Studies – US
  • City of Newton Info
    • City Council Meetings: Docket Digest
    • Observer Notes

Facebook Posts

League of Women Voters of Newton, MA
League of Women Voters of Newton, MA

May 16th, 6:12 am

Honoring Madeleine Albright (1937-2022) on her birthday today, she sadly passed away in March. Among many achievements, 1st female U.S. Sec. of State (1997-2001). Pres. Biden said of her, "In the 20th and 21st century, freedom had no greater champion." https://bit.ly/3L0PH9r ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

League of Women Voters of Newton, MA
League of Women Voters of Newton, MA

May 11th, 4:55 pm

From LWV MA: Support Reproductive Rights NOW - https://mailchi.mp/ab54191dae79/dec_28_2021-8864593 ... See MoreSee Less

From LWV MA: Support Reproductive Rights NOW

mailchi.mp

As League members, we know that true democracy depends on equal rights for all people. Losing our right to reproductive choice would open the door to the loss of other freedoms, such as marriage equ...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

League of Women Voters of Newton, MA
League of Women Voters of Newton, MA

May 8th, 12:29 pm

Happy Mother’s Day! We thank all Mothers, for none of us would here without you! There were also many mother-daughter duos who fought together for suffrage: Elizabeth Cady Stanton/Harriet Stanton Blatch, Mary Church Terrell/Phyllis Terrell, and more! https://bit.ly/3vW5W1R ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

League of Women Voters of Newton, MA
League of Women Voters of Newton, MA

May 6th, 11:39 am

Some latest news from @LWV MA: http://participate.lwv.org/c/10065/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=232238 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

League of Women Voters of Newton, MA
League of Women Voters of Newton, MA

May 6th, 11:35 am

On behalf of @LWV MA: The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts views the leaked Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, if it holds, as an attack on a fundamental right to health care and to the right of pregnant people to make their own decisions about what is best for them. In light of the probable overturning of Roe v. Wade, the League expresses its gratitude to the Massachusetts state legislature for passing, in 2020, the ROE Act, legislation that codified the right to an abortion in Massachusetts regardless of any U.S. Supreme Court decision. We salute our partners in reproductive health advocacy for their work in anticipating the need for this legislation.We now urge the legislature to continue this work protecting the right to make one's own health care decisions by passing without delay two additional bills:H.1196/S.673 An Act ensuring access to full spectrum pregnancy care. This bill would provide financial assistance for a full-range of pregnancy-related care. See our testimony: https://lwvma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/LWVMA-Testimony-S.673-H.1196.pdfH.2399/S.1470 An Act to require public universities to provide medication abortion. See our testimony: https://lwvma.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/LWVMA-Testimony-S.1470-H.2399.pdfThe national League of Women Voters continues to advocate for these rights on the federal level. Read their statement here: https://lwv.org/newsroom/press-releases/… ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.

© 2022 League of Women Voters® Newton | P.O. Box 610207, Newton, MA 02461 | info@lwvnewton.org

Site by Tech-Tamer | Log in