Alumnae Library > Research > Federal Documents > Vote 2012

Vote 2012

Important Dates:

For many college students, the November election will be their first chance to vote.  College students may register to vote in their home town or the city or town where they attend college. A student who is not a permanent resident of Massachusetts will need to decide where to vote.  To apply for an absentee ballot for your state, check with your State Secretary. In most cases, the absentee ballot is sent to you by mail, but some states have the form online, but you must get the completed ballot back to your Board of Elections prior to Election Day.  Requirements vary from state to state.

If you would like to vote in Massachusetts (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howreg.htm), you must register twenty days before the election or town meeting, or ten days before a special town meeting. You can register in various ways noted below. 

By Mail: The Massachusetts Mail-In Voter Registration form can be used to register to vote in Massachusetts, to update registration information due to a change of name, a change of address, or to register with a political party. Note:  After filling out this form, you must print it, sign it and send it to your local election official.

Download the Forms:

Massachusetts Mail-in Voter Registration form (PDF) - English

Formulario de inscripción de votante por correo oficial de Massachusetts (PDF) - Spanish

麻州官方 選民郵寄登記表 (PDF) - Chinese

Due to the Federal Law, the Help America Vote Act of 2002, if you registered to vote by mail on or after January 1, 2003, you will be required to show identification when you vote for the first time in a federal election or you can send in a copy of your identification with your voter registration form. If you do not provide such identification, the Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires that you may only cast a provisional ballot which will be counted later, but only after your eligibility to vote has been determined

In Person: Go to any registration location and complete an affidavit of registration, which must be answered truthfully under the penalty of perjury. The questions on the affidavit will include your name, residence and date of birth.

At the Registry of Motor Vehicles: Keep your motor voter receipt until you receive confirmation from your local election official. If you do not receive any confirmation, please contact your local election office to verify your voting status.  Mail the completed form to your local city or town hall. You should receive a confirmation notice in 2 to 3 weeks. If you do not receive a confirmation notice, or wish to confirm your voter registration status, please contact your local City or Town Clerk to verify your voting status.

How to register to vote in Chicopee, Massachusetts (https://www.chicopeema.gov/page.php?id=284 )

• In Person: at the Registrars of Voters office at City Hall and all City Libraries
• By Mail: obtain mail-in registration form by calling 594-1550, or sending e-mail to jsurdyka@chicopeema.gov.  Massachusetts accepts the National Voter Registration Form so download the form and fill in the requested information.  Please mail the completed form to the Registrars of Voters, City Hall, 274 Front St. Chicopee, MA  01013 and you will receive a confirmation notice within 2 - 3 weeks informing you of your ward, precinct and polling location.

How to register to vote in other states and territories (http://www.eac.gov/voter_resources/register_to_vote.aspx)

Please use the National Voter Registration Form . The National Mail Voter Registration Form can be used to register U.S. citizens to vote, to update registration information due to a change of name, make a change of address or to register with a political party. You must follow the state-specific instructions listed for your state. They begin on page 3 of the form and are listed alphabetically by state. After filling out this form, you must sign your name where indicated and send it to your state or local election office for processing.  The national form also contains voter registration rules and regulations for each state and territory.