Register

You may register or pre-register to vote in Massachusetts if you meet all of the critera:

  • You are a citizen of the United States
  • You are at least 16 years old  (note – you may not vote until you are 18)
  • You are a resident of Massachusetts
  • You are not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.

Note:  Individuals who are under a guardianship may register to vote and vote unless their guardianship specifically prohibits it.

If you meet the above requirements and have a MA driver’s license or state id, you may register to vote in person, online or by mail.

If you meet the above requirements and do not have a MA driver’s license or state id, you may register to vote in person or by mail, submitting a printed form. You may fill out the form online, but you then must print it, sign it, and bring or mail it to your town clerk.

The deadline to register to vote in any election or regular town meeting is twenty (20) days prior to the date of the election or meeting. The deadline to register to vote in a special town meeting is ten (10) days prior to the special town meeting.

For more info, visit the State Voter Registration webpage. In addition to registering, this page has links to Update Address and/or Party, Update Name and Check Registration Information.

Check Registration Information: If you are unsure of your registration status, the state webpage:  Find My Voter Registration Status will provide your information.  With a name, birth date and zip code, the system will return complete registration details, including whether an ID will be required, your party enrollment, and your polling location, as well as your elected officials.

Table Of Contents
  1. Register In Person
  2. Online Registration
  3. Register by Mail
  4. Automatic Voter Registration
  5. Guardianship
  6. Housing Insecurity or Houselessness
  7. New Citizens
  8. Residents of Long-term Care Facilities
  9. Incarcerated People

Register In Person

  • If you would like to register in-person, you may do so at any local election office (typically the Town Clerk’s 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.
  • Paper Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid as of the day that they are signed.

Online Registration

  • Visit the MA Online Registration web page.
  • 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 ( non-driver ID issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles),  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 11:59 a.m. on the date of the voter registration deadline.

If you do not have a drivers license, you may apply for a Mass ID, however, you will have to print documents – it is not a totally online process.

Register by Mail

  • 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 available on the Elections Division webpage. 
  • The form must be completed, signed, and delivered to your local election official.
  • To register by mail, download the voter registration form (PDF). Voter registration forms submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than the voter registration deadline.

Automatic Voter Registration

If you are a Massachusetts citizen doing certain things at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, MassHealth, and the Commonwealth Health Connector, you will automatically become registered to vote.

You can be automatically registered to vote when you:

  • Apply for, renew or request a duplicate driver’s license at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). You must fill out the appropriate “Voter Registration” section of the form
  • 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.

Guardianship

Unless a  guardianship specifically prohibits the person under guardianship from voting, people with guardians can register and vote.  FYI: Guardianship’s which prohibit voting are uncommon.

Housing Insecurity or Houselessness

Persons who are experiencing houselessness can register to vote in MA (and in all 50 states)

A voter who does not have a traditional address may use a paper voter registration form to draw the location of their residence, which is typically where they most often sleep at night. Voters who regularly sleep at a shelter may use the shelter as their residence. The instructions on the voter registration form tell the registrant to use landmarks to describe the location of where they live, if it does not have a street number and name assigned to it. A voter may use any alternate address they choose as their mailing address.

    New Citizens

    If you became a U.S. citizen after the voter registration deadline, you can register to vote in person at your local election office until 4 p.m. on the day before the election. Make sure you bring proof that your naturalization ceremony took place after the voter registration deadline.

    Residents of Long-term Care Facilities

    For more information on voting for long-term care residents, download FAQ about Voting in Long Term Care.pdf, or visit the Voting in Long Term Care Facilities page.

    QUESTION: How and when would you need to switch someone’s voter registration to the address of a nursing home/long-term facility?

    ANSWER: In sum, it is up to the resident if they want to change their registration address. Some people staying short term may not want to update their address since they are only at the facility for a short time, and others staying long term may have someone such as a family member, friend, or spouse bringing mail to them.

    • The first step is to check voter registration status and information.
      • If residents have the last 4 digits of their SSN and last address they were registered to vote at this should be relatively easy.
      • If a facility needs a list of residents registered to vote at their address, they should contact their local town/city elections office.
    • Long-term residents who are new voters need to fill out a voter registration application. If they have a license or State ID they can register online. If they do not, they can register by mail or in person.
    • Residents can fill out their address either as the facility’s address, OR if they have someone at home to get and deliver their mail to them they can register at their home address–  if they are more comfortable with this.

    Incarcerated People