Of all of the developed countries in the world, the United States has the lowest voter turnout for political elections. This is a trend that needs to change, and change can start with you! With election season right around the corner, it’s important for all eligible citizens to register to vote. Registering to vote can be a little complicated, especially if you are not from the same state you will be in come election time. However, have no fear! The process has been outlined below, so that registering to vote can be easy and painless. Just remember, you have to register at least twenty days before the election you want to vote in, and presidential primaries in Massachusetts are set for March 1st.
If you are a Massachusetts resident:
If your permanent residence is in Massachusetts, you have three different options on how to register to vote. You can either register in person, by mail, or online.
In-Person:
If you would prefer to register in person, you can do so at a local election office. The closest election office to Lasell is located in Newton City Hall. You can also register at the closest RMV, which is about a fifteen minute drive from Lasell.
By Mail:
If you want to register by mail, you can download the necessary forms here.
After you fill out the forms, you will need to address them to your local election office. The address for the election office in Newton is:
Newton City Hall, Room 103
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459
Online:
The third option for registration is online. However, you can only register online if you have a signature on file with a Massachusetts RMV. If you have a Massachusetts driver’s license, then your signature is on file, and you can register online here.
If you are from out-of-state:
If you have already registered to vote in your home state, you will have to apply for an absentee ballot through the state that you live in. You can apply by filling in all the necessary information here.
Make sure you do this plenty of time ahead of the actual election so that everything has time to process.
If you are from out-of-state, but have not yet registered to vote in your home state, you are actually eligible to register in Massachusetts. Directions on how to do so are listed above. However, if you do register is MA, you will not be able to vote in your home state without changing your voter registration.
Remember: before you can vote, you have to register.