Any U.S. citizen residing in Amherst can register to vote in the Town. Residents aged 16 and 17 are eligible to pre-register. You must affirm, under penalty of perjury, that you are legally eligible to register and that the information you provide is accurate and truthful. The penalty for fraudulent registration is a $10,000 fine or up to 5 years imprisonment, or both.
The state recently completed work on a new website to provide Massachusetts voters with the ability to look up and verify their current voter registration status. This tool is designed to provide up-to-date information on voter registration status and information for voters so that they may register to vote.
The state developed this functionality while attempting to maintain as much privacy as possible. Voters can verify their voting status by entering their name (as registered), date of birth, and zip code. If they are not a registered voter, they will be directed on how to register to vote.
Fraud Alert! According to the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, scammers may send messages asking for your Social Security number or financial information to register you to vote – or to verify your registration – when they really want to commit identity theft. PLEASE NOTE: In Massachusetts, when you register to vote you will be asked to provide your Massachusetts Driver’s License number OR the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number. This information is used for verification purposes. YOU SHOULD NEVER BE ASKED TO PROVIDE YOUR FULL SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER BY A LEGITIMATE ELECTION OFFICIAL.
Residents aged 16 and 17 can pre-register to vote using any of the methods listed below. On your 18th birthday, you will be removed from the pre-registration list and placed on the registered voter list. You will receive a confirmation notice from our office confirming this change. Please note that you may be asked to show identification at the polling location if this is the first time you are voting in Massachusetts in a Federal election.
You can come to the Town Clerk’s Office at Amherst Town Hall and complete a voter registration form in person. Please note that the deadline to register to vote in person for any election is 5:00 PM on the 10th day before the election.
You can register to vote online. Anyone with a valid Massachusetts driver’s license or ID card and signature on file with the RMV will be able to register online, update their address, or change their party enrollment. Online voter registration must be completed by 11:59 PM on the 10th day before the election.
You can register or pre-register to vote using the mail-in voter registration form. Print, complete, and sign the voter registration form. Mail-in voter registration forms must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline.
As of January 1, 2020, any Massachusetts citizen who completes certain transactions through the Registry of Motor Vehicles, MassHealth, and the Commonwealth Health Connector will be automatically registered to vote.
You will be automatically registered to vote when you: Apply for or renew a driver’s license or learner’s permit; Apply for or renew a State ID card; Apply for MassHealth benefits online, in person, or over the phone; Enroll in health insurance through the Commonwealth Health Connector.
When you register, you can choose to be a member of a political party, choose to designate to a political organization that has not yet attained party status in the state, or choose to be an unenrolled voter (commonly referred to as Independent). Keep in mind that if you enroll in a particular party, for Primary elections ONLY, you will receive a ballot designated for that party. Unenrolled voters may request any party ballot in a Primary election.
