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, or call the office at (617) 796-1350.

Massachusetts permits mail-in registration, if time permits. Call 617-727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE to request a form, or download the National Voter Registration form and mail it to: Election Commission, Newton City Hall, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., Newton MA 02459.

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

Who may register to vote in Massachusetts?

Any resident of Massachusetts who is a US citizen and 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.

What are the registration deadlines?

  • Twenty days before a state or national election
  • Twenty days before municipal elections, special primaries and special elections

Contacts for further voter registration information:

Who may register to vote in Massachusetts?

Any resident of Massachusetts who is a US citizen and will be 18 years old by the date of the next election may register to vote.

What are the registration deadlines?

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

Where do you register?

You may register to vote in person at any registration event, in any local election office, and at the following state agency offices: Registry of Motor Vehicles, Food Stamp Program, AFDC, WIC, Medical Assistance Program, Commission for the Blind, Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Department of Mental Health, Department of Mental Retardation, and the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

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

Or 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. The mail-in form must be postmarked by the registration deadline. The mail-in form may also be hand-delivered to your local election office.

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

You can write to local election officials requesting an absentee ballot if you will be away from your city or town, have a physical disability or cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs. Include your name, address, address to which the ballot should be sent, signature, and for a primary election, the party ballot you wish.

You can also download an absentee ballot application here:  Absentee Ballot Application

More information on absentee ballots can be found at the City of Newton’s Election Commission page.

 

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