Voting Reminders for Upcoming Election

With the upcoming State Representative election, the City Clerk’s Office would like to remind residents of important voting information.  The Q & A below contains some of the more frequently asked and important questions regarding voting for the upcoming March 5, 2013 election.

Q.  When is the primary for the special state representative election?

A. Tuesday, March 5, 2013.  The polls are open from 7AM- 8PM.

Q. How do I know if I am registered to vote?

A. If you registered recently you will receive a confirmation notice from the Registrars of Voters’ office confirming your registration and indicating your polling location.  If you are not sure if you received a confirmation notice or would like to confirm your registration, call the Registrars of Voters’ office at (617) 394-2297 and any member of the staff will be able to help you.

Q. I registered to vote at the Registry of Motor Vehicles but did not receive a confirmation notice from the City, what should I do?

A. If you registered to vote or think that you registered to vote at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, you should receive a confirmation letter as well.  These registrations are sent to us electronically through a statewide system.  We urge you to call the Registrars of Voters’ office at (617) 394-2297 to confirm your registration if you have not received a confirmation letter.  There may be a lag time before the forms from the Registry of Motor Vehicles are received in the Registrars of Voters’ office.  Confirming your voter registration will facilitate voting on March5th.

Q. If I move and changed my address at the Post Office does my voter registration transfer to my new community or my new address within Everett?

No.  You must re-register to vote in your new community.  If you have moved within Everett you must still re-register to vote at your new address.

Q. How do I find out where I vote?

A. This link will allow you to enter your address to determine where you vote. http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.aspx. You may also call the Registrars of Voters’ office at (617) 394-2297 and any member of the staff will be able to help you.

Q. Do I need to show ID at the polls?

A. Massachusetts does not have a voter ID law. The only time that you will be asked for identification is if you are a first time voter and did not provide identification information at the time you registered to vote or if you are an inactive voter.  A voter may become inactive when they or the head of household does not return the annual City census also known as the street listing mailed in January every year.  An “inactive” voter will be asked for identification that shows that they live at the address at which they are registered and they will be asked to sign an affirmation of continuous residency.  If you want to make sure that you are an active voter you may call our office at (617) 394-2297 and any member of the staff will be able to help you. You may change your voter status from inactive to active by re-registering to vote or completing the annual street listing.

Q. Who can vote absentee?

A. In Massachusetts, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, voters may vote by absentee ballot “if they will be absent from the city on election day, and/or have a physical disability which prevents them from voting at their polling location, and/or cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs”.

Q. How can I get an absentee ballot?

A. You may get an application for an absentee ballot in the Registrars of Voters’ office or you may download the application at the following link: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howabs.htm

The application must be submitted to the City Clerk’s office no later than 12 PM (Noon) on Monday, March 4, 2013.  All absentee ballots must be completed following the instructions which are included when they are mailed out. You may also vote, after completing an absentee ballot application, in the City Clerk’s office during business hours if you find that you will not be able to vote on Election Day for any of the reasons that entitle you to vote absentee.  Completed absentee ballots must be received by 8 PM (the time the polls close) on March 5th.  A completed absentee ballot, appropriately signed and sealed, may be dropped off at the City Clerk’s office by a family member or member of your household, but may NOT be delivered directly to the polling location.

Q. May I request an absentee ballot for my child, spouse or parent?

A. Yes, you may fill out the form entitled “Absentee ballot application by a family member”. It is available at the City Clerk’s office or at the following link http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absente_ballot_fam.pdf  You may request an absentee ballot be mailed to a family member but you may not take it with you to give to them.  The absentee ballot, when it is returned must be sealed following the instructions which are provided to the voter. This ballot may be mailed or dropped off at the City Clerk’s office.

Q. I am a US citizen but live outside the continental United States, how can I vote?

A. The link below has very detailed information regarding voting for citizens who live either permanently or temporarily outside of the country and for voting for members of the military and their families.  http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elemil/milidx.htm

If you have any other questions or need additional information call the City Clerk’s Office at (617) 394-2225, or visit in person at Room 10 on the first floor of City Hall.

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