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Voter Registration
To check the status of your voter registration, find your voting location, or see a list of your representatives, please view the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website.
You 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.
- If you meet the above requirements, you may apply online, by mail, or in person.
Please note: The deadline to register to vote in any election or regular town meeting is twenty days prior to the date of the election or meeting.
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.
If you do not qualify to register to vote online, or if you would prefer to register by mail, you may download the Voter Registration Form (PDF). The form must be completed, signed, and delivered to your local election official. Voter registration forms submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than the voter registration deadline.
Mail to:
Town Clerk's Office
525 Canton Ave
Milton, MA 02186
If you would like to register in person, you may do so at any local election office, as well as the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office. Voter registration is also available as part of every transaction 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 must update your voter registration every time you move. If you have moved, you may update your registration by filling out a new voter registration form. If you move after the deadline to register to vote in a state election or primary, you should wait to update your registration until after the date of the election or primary, and return to vote at your previous polling place in Massachusetts. State law allows you to vote from a previous address in a state election for up to six months after you have moved, as long as you have not registered elsewhere.
If you wish to change your party enrollment, you may do so by filling out a new voter registration form. Members of political parties may vote only in their own party's primary elections. Unenrolled voters (commonly referred to as "Independents") and members of political designations or minor parties may vote in the party primary of their choice. Choosing to vote in a particular party's primary does not enroll you as a member of that party.
A full list of political parties and designations may be found on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Elections page.
Certain voters must submit a copy of their identification with their voter registration or present it at their polling place on Election Day. For more information on identification requirements, please see the Secretary of the Commonwealth's page on Identification Requirements.
Though you must be 18 years old in order to vote, you may pre-register to vote once you are 16 years old. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may submit a voter registration form to your local election official, who will then place your name on the list of pre-registrants. You will receive a pre-registration notice by mail, confirming receipt of your application. Pre-registration may be done online, by mail, or in person at any voter registration location.
Once you become old enough to vote, your local election will mail you an acknowledgment notice, which is confirmation that your name has been moved from the list of pre-registrants to the list of registered voters. Your acknowledgment notice will include your party affiliation and the location of your polling place.
It is important to keep your local election official informed of any changes to your information. You must submit a new voter registration form if you wish to change your name, address, mailing address, or political affiliation.
On Election Day, some voters may find that their names have been placed on the list of inactive voters. The inactive voter's list is made up of registered voters who have not responded to the annual street list or subsequent confirmation notice. Inactive voters may still vote, but will first be asked to show identification and will be required to fill out an affirmation of current and continuous residence.
If you are an inactive voter, it will be indicated on the list of voters when you check in at your polling place. Before you may vote, you will be required to complete an affirmation of current and continuous residence. On this form, you must affirm that you continue to reside at the address at which you are registered, have moved within the same town, or have moved from one municipality to another Massachusetts municipality within six months of a state election.
You will also be asked to present identification which shows your name and the address at which you are registered to vote. It is not required that you present photo identification. Acceptable forms of identification include:
- a driver's license
- state-issued ID card
- recent utility bill
- rent receipt
- lease
- a copy of a voter registration affidavit
- any other printed identification which contains your name and address
As soon as you have completed the affirmation of current and continuous residence, you will be restored to the active voter's list.
Inactive voters remain registered to vote until they fail to vote in two consecutive biennial state elections. Inactive voters are restored to the active voters list any time they complete an affirmation of current and continuous residence, fill out a new voter registration form, or submit anything to their local election official which is signed under penalty of perjury and confirms the voter's address.