BOSTON — Secretary of State William Galvin is urging Massachusetts citizens who would like to vote in the election on Nov. 5 to make sure they are registered to vote by Saturday.
Saturday, Oct. 26 is the last day for voters to register or update their address for the upcoming state election.
“If you want to vote for president, any other office on the ballot, or these ballot questions, you need to be registered to vote,” Galvin said in a statement on Wednesday. “Even if you are already a voter, if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, I urge you to check that your address is up to date before it’s too late.”
In Massachusetts, voters must be registered at least 10 days before Election Day in order to be able to vote.
While certain grace periods exist in state law for those who move, voters should register to vote each time they change their residence, Galvin said.
Voter registration is available online for any resident who has a Massachusetts driver’s license or state identification card from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, but Galvin is also warning those who were recently naturalized not to plan to register online.
“The RMV must be able to verify your identity and eligibility, before you can submit a registration form online,” he said. “If you recently became a U.S. citizen and you have not been to the Registry to provide your citizenship documentation yet, you will need to register to vote using a paper form, either by mail or in person.”
Galvin also noted that those who are naturalized after the Oct. 26 registration deadline may still vote on Nov. 5. State law allows new citizens to register to vote in person at their local election office until 4 p.m. on Nov. 4, though they must bring proof that they were naturalized after the last day to register.
In-person voter registration is available on Saturday until 5 p.m. at local election offices and early voting locations.
To be valid for the Nov. 5 election, mail-in registration forms must be postmarked by Oct. 26, while online registrations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 26.
Voters may visit Galvin’s website, www.VoteInMA.com to check their voter registration information, register, or update their registration. Those who need to register in person may also find the location of their local election office or early voting sites on the same website.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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