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1. What are the Official Election Websites?

• More election information at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/
• Online voter registration available at www.sec.state.ma.us/ovr/
• Amherst MA voter information available at www.amherstma.gov/vote 

2. Should I Register at School or Home?

Students have a choice about where to register to vote. Students attending college may register at their campus address or choose to remain registered or register at their permanent or home address. You may only be registered to vote in one location. 

Register Online: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/

Visit Amherst Town Clerk: 1st Floor Town Hall at 4 Boltwood Avenue in Downtown Amherst M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm - Map

3. How Do I Register?

Online: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/

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 by using the link provided in the box to the right. 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. 

In-person: Amherst Town Clerk's Office on 1st Floor of Town Hall at 4 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst MA. 01002 M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm - Map

4. What type of ID Do I Need to Register?

Massachusetts’ paper voter registration form asks for your Massachusetts driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it. To complete your voter registration online, you must have a Massachusetts-issued driver’s license or non-driver ID. 

5. What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?

You need to present ID when voting in person, or mail a copy of your ID when voting by mail, if any of the following apply to you:

• You are a first-time voter
• You are an inactive voter
• You are casting a provisional or challenged ballot
• The poll worker has a reasonable suspicion that leads them to ask for your ID

Acceptable forms of ID include a Massachusetts driver’s license or state ID card, recent utility bill, rent receipt, lease, copy of a voter registration affidavit, or any other printed identification that has your name and address. If you cannot show ID, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot.

6. Where Do I Vote?

Make a plan ahead of time. Confirm your voter registration status by visiting www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus

Look up your polling location and hours at www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA 

7. How Can I Vote?

By Mail / Absentee

• If you are a registered Massachusetts voter, you may vote absentee if you will be absent from your town or city on Election Day, have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place, or you cannot vote at the polls because of your religious beliefs.
• Absentee ballots must be requested in writing. The application can be found at the State's Election Website and mailed or hand-delivered to your city or town hall. The deadline for absentee voting is 12:00 PM Noon the day before the election (except for the September 4th State Primary/Town Preliminary where the deadline will be August 31, 2018 by 5:00 PM due the Labor Day Holiday. More information can be found on our Absentee Ballot page
• Completed ballots must be received before the polls close.

Early In-person

• No excuse is required to vote early in-person. Early voting locations differ from your assigned Election Day voting location, so check with your local elections office for times and locations.
• More information coming soon.

Election Day

• Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for statewide elections, but some municipalities can open earlier. Contact your local clerk to verify polling hours. If you are in line by the time polls close, you will be allowed to vote.
• If you decide to vote at the polls after receiving an absentee ballot, you must go to your local clerk, who will issue a certificate permitting you to vote in person.

8. Will registering to vote in Massachusetts affect my driver’s license or car registration?

Registering to vote in Massachusetts makes you a resident for the purposes of your driver’s license and vehicle registration. If you drive your vehicle in Massachusetts, you have 30 days from when you register to vote to register your vehicle and get a Massachusetts driver’s license. For more information, contact the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles.

9. Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your...

• Federal Financial Aid
  • Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA
• Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
  • Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes
• Tuition Status
  • Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community