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Massachusetts voter registration deadline is Aug. 15 for state primary – Metro US

Massachusetts voter registration deadline is Aug. 15 for state primary

Success of early voting expected to ease Election Day balloting
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The Massachusetts primary 2018 is coming up fast. If you want to cast a ballot in that election, you’ll have to first make sure your Massachusetts voter registration status is good to know.

The 2018 primary election is on Tuesday, September 4. Voters across the commonwealth will take to the polls that day to pick the candidates they want to represent their party in the Massachusetts General Election on November 6.

Candidates will be vying for the chance to appear on their party’s ballot for one Senate seat and nine House seats, all of which are currently held by Democrats.

Residents will also get the chance to vote on candidates for the race for governor, a title currently held by Republican Charlie Baker, as well as a few other positions like lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state. 

But before you can head to the polls, you need to register to vote. The last day to register to vote in Massachusetts in order to cast a ballot in the Massachusetts primary 2018 election is August 15, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin’s office.

How to check your Massachusetts voter registration status

Wondering if you are all set to vote in Massachusetts? In order to check your voter registration status, head to sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus.aspx. You’ll have to enter your first and last name, date of birth and zip code to see if your Massachusetts voter registration status is all squared away.

If it’s not, here’s what you can do.

How to register to vote in Massachusetts

Bay Staters have a few different ways to fill out their Massachusetts voter registration: online, by mail or in person.

In order to register to vote online, just visit sec.state.ma.us/OVR/ to access the secretary of state’s online voter registration system. You will need a signature and identification on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles in order to handle your voter registration online.

If you can’t register to vote online or would prefer another way, you can download a Massachusetts voter registration form to mail in here. Voter registration forms sent through the mail must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline.

There’s still a third way to register to vote in Massachusetts: in person. Residents can visit a local election office, which you can find listed by municipality here, or by visiting the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office in Boston.

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Voter registration deadlines for  Massachusetts Primary 2018

In the commonwealth, you must be registered to vote 20 days before an election. For the Massachusetts primary 2018, the deadline to register to vote is Wednesday, August 15.

August 15 is also the deadline to change which political party you are registered with, which will affect how you can vote in the state primary election. If you are registered with a specific political party, you can only vote in that party’s primaries. In Massachusetts, if you are unenrolled, basically as in independent, you can vote in either party’s primary election — just make sure you’re not actually registered with the United Independent Party if you actually want to be “unenrolled.”

On August 15, residents have from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. to make sure their voter registration is all set for the September Massachusetts primary 2018 election. In towns with fewer than 1,500 voters, registration sessions must be held 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., per the secretary of state’s office.

If you plan to vote by absentee ballot for the Massachusetts primary 2018, you’ll have to fill out a specific application. That application can be found here. Massachusetts voters who plan to use an absentee ballot must make sure their application is received by Friday, August 31 at 5 p.m.