College Students: Your Right to Vote in Massachusetts

Basic Rights
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment gives 18 to 21 year-olds the right to vote voice in our country. Most states allow you to register to vote at your college address. So if you are studying away from home, in another state, you can choose to either vote at home via absentee ballot, or on your campus. While this is the case in most states, eligibility requirements can be tricky, confusing, and downright restrictive in others. Someties students are unfairly targeted by election officials or partisan challengers and can encounter difficulty establishing residency at their college. This guide explains the basic residency, registration, identification, and absentee voting requirements for student voters in each of the 50 states and the D.C.

Get a Voter Registration Form

Find Your Voting Location

Or Vote By Mail

Identification Requirements
In Massachusetts, only two categories of voters are required to show ID at the polls. (1) First-time voters who registered by mail but whose identity was not verified and (2) Voters who have previous been labeled inactive because they either (a) failed to respond to an annual census report or (b) because an acknowledgment notice sent to their address listed after they registered was returned as undeliverable. A 1

Residency Requirements
Students in Massachusetts can register and vote in their college communities as long as they currently consider their school address as their principal residence. In Massachusetts, the law provides several versions of residency. One of them is, Students Temporarily Residing in Massachusetts, a category that covers all students attending school or college in the Commonwealth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I register to vote in my college community? In making the choice where to register to vote, you should consider that, while you might be at first just want to vote at home, you do also have a stake in the local issues of your college community. Issues ranging from off-campus housing, zoning restrictions, education funding, the environment, and taxes all affect your quality of living. Voting in your college community is also more convenient, and relieves students of the need to apply for an absentee ballot. Where can I find my ward/district information for where I want to register to vote? You can find election information on the Massachusetts Division website. Enter the street number and street name of your residence and enter either your zip code or your city or town. How do I get an absentee ballot? Click here to view the absentee ballot application provided by the Massachusetts Election Division. You may also apply through your city or town clerks office. How do I register to vote? You need to fill out and submit a Voter Registration form. You may register in person at your local board of elections or at any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year. You may also register by mail. Forms are available from the Massachusetts Elections Division and the Election Assistance Commission. If I register to vote, will I be called for jury duty?

The rolls of prospective jurors are compiled using a number of sources, so registering to vote does not necessarily mean that you will be called. Similarly, not registering to vote does not necessarily mean that you will not be called for jury duty. Massachusetts residents who are not registered to vote are sometimes called for jury duty.

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