Welcome to the Middlesex Community Election and voting subject guide! This dedicated source encompasses information about state elections (i.e., Massachusetts and New Hampshire) and Federal Elections.
The following tabs provide information and websites on Massachusett's voting registration and elections.
Eligibility
You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person.
You can pre-register to vote when you're 16 or 17 years old. However, you must meet the criteria above. Once you turn 18, you will be added to the voter list.
(Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.).
Voter Registration Deadlines
According to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the deadline to register to vote, update your registration, or change your party is 10 days before any election or town meeting.
ID Requirements for Registration
In-Person
You can register or pre-register to vote in person. In Massachusetts, you can register to vote in-person at:
Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid on the day that they are signed.
Online Registration
If you have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can register online. You can also pre-register, update your address, update your name, and change your political party designation.
Voter registration forms submitted online must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date of the voter registration deadline.
Mail-In Registration
You can register or pre-register to vote with a mail-in voter registration form. Print, fill out, and sign the voter registration form. Mail the signed form to your local election office. Your voter registration form must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline.
If you are registering to vote in Massachusetts for the first time, you should include a copy of your identification that shows your name and address with your form. If you don’t include a copy of your ID, you may need to show it the first time you vote.
Automatic 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:
(Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.).
The following links will provide information on how to cast your vote via mail or use the absentee ballot.
In-person early voting is available for:
Local officials may choose to offer in-person early voting for regular city and town elections. Contact your local election office for information about early voting in local elections.
(Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, n.d.).
The following tabs provide information and websites about New Hampshire's voting registration and the elections.
A person must meet the following to register and vote in New Hampshire:
You need to provide proof of your identity, age, citizenship, and domicile to register. Proof can be either by documents or by affidavit if you do not have documents with you. You may present documents in paper or electronic form.
(Office of the Secretary of State of New Hampshire, 2023)
General Election Day:
A person qualified to vote who is not registered may register and vote on this Election Day at the polling place for the town or city ward where the person is domiciled (New Hampshire Secretary of State Office)
For more information about the deadlines for voting in the state of New Hamshire, visit the links below:
A person must meet the following to register and vote in New Hampshire:
You need to provide proof of your identity, age, citizenship, and domicile to register. Proof can be either by documents or by affidavit if you do not have documents with you. You may present documents in paper or electronic form.
Note: A New Hampshire Real ID-compliant driver's license is NOT proof of U.S. Citizenship.
You can prove your identity, age, and/or citizenship by signing a Qualified Voter Affidavit, under oath, in front of an election official if you do not have documents.
(Office of the Secretary of State of New Hampshire, 2023).
You can vote absentee in any election if you are unable to vote in person because:
How to request an absentee ballot
If you qualify to vote absentee, you will need to complete an Absentee Ballot Application and the appropriate affidavit form in pen or number 2 pencil only and return it to your local clerk. You can find contact information for your local clerk using our Voter Information Lookup.
If you are voting absentee due to a disability or illness, you must fill out the Absentee Voter Registration Affidavit - Physically Disabled.
If you are voting absentee due to absence, you must fill out the Absentee Voter Registration Affidavit – Temporarily Absent.
How to register by mail
If you plan on voting absentee but are not registered to vote yet, you can request absentee registration forms and instructions from your clerk before requesting an absentee ballot.
After you have applied for an absentee ballot, you can use the Voter Information Lookup to find out if your clerk has received your request, when the absentee ballot was sent to you, and when your clerk received your completed absentee ballot.
(Office of the New Hampshire Secretary of State, n.d.).
New Hampshire does not permit early voting.
Elections and Voting Information
The Young Vote (2016)
Dir. Diane Robinson
Duration: 1 hr. 06 mins.
Description: "Democracy is being threatened, and young people are taking it personally. In 2016, only 39% of those 29 and under, the largest generation of eligible voters in US history, voted in the presidential election. What can we do to increase young voter participation and sustain a functional democracy? The Young Vote takes the temperature of a generation raised during a time of increasing distrust in government, active voter suppression, and continued inaction on the issues that matter most to them."
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