Qualifications
To register or pre-register to vote in the City of Cambridge, You must:
- Be a citizen of the United States.
- Be a Cambridge resident.
- Be 16 years of age; and not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.
How To Register
The deadline to register in any election is 10 days prior to the date of the election.
Registering online:
In order to register to vote online, you must have a signature on file with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. If you currently have a Massachusetts driver's license or state ID card, you may use the online voter registration application to register, update your address, or change your party affiliation. Voter registration forms submitted online must be submitted by midnight on the date of the voter registration deadline.
Registering by mail:
If you do not qualify to register to vote online, or if you would prefer to register by mail, you may download the voter registration form in multiple languages from the Secretary of State's Website at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/register-by-mail-forms.htm. You can also obtain a mail-in Registration Form from the City Clerk's Office, any Cambridge Post Office or any branch of the Cambridge Public Library.
Fill the form out completely and sign at the bottom; otherwise it will be rejected and sent back to the applicant.
Mail (DO NOT FAX OR EMAIL) the Voter Registration form to:
Cambridge Election Commission
51 Inman Street, 1st floor
Cambridge, MA 02139
Registering in person:
If you would like to register in-person, you may do so at the Election Commission office at 51 Inman Street.
Voter registration is also available as part of every transaction at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and at certain public assistance agencies. Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid as of the day that they are signed.
Check Your Registration Status
Click here to check your voter registration status
How to Request Voter Registration Forms
We can provide a limited number of mail-in forms in our office, or you can request them from the Secretary of State's office by calling 617-727-2828. You can also download the form in multiple languages at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/register-by-mail-forms.htm.
Tips and FAQs
You may register or pre-register to vote in Cambridge if you are a US citizen, a resident of Cambridge, and at least 16 years old; and not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.
No, this is prohibited under state law.
The following options are available to register to vote. You can register:
Online - In order to register to vote online, you must have a signature on file with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. If you currently have a Massachusetts driver's license or state ID card, you may use the online voter registration application to register, update your address, or change your party affiliation.
In Person - At the Election Commission Office during regular and special office hours.
By Mail-in Registration Form - Forms are available at the Election Office, local libraries, branches of the Post Office, Cambridge Hospital and the neighborhood health clinics, public housing locations, and many other city locations. You can also download the form from the Secretary of State's office website at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/register-by-mail-forms.htm.
Fill the form out completely and sign it at the bottom. Mail the form to the Election Commission at 51 Inman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.
To have a Registration form mailed to you, call 1-800-462-vote or 617-727-2828.
Homeless persons can use a shelter address or their prior address in Cambridge if that was the last place of residency. You can also vote from a location by using the diagram on the registration form to show the intersection where you habitually sleep. The Election Commission needs an intersection to use to assign a Ward and Precinct.
When you register, you must include your driver’s license number or the last 4 digits of your social security number on the application. If the information cannot be verified or you do not provide this information, you must provide identification at your polling location when you go to vote. Sufficient identification includes a copy of current and valid photo identification, current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document showing your name and address.
Send correspondence stating it is "signed under the penalty of perjury" to the Election office with your request to change party affiliation, including what you would like your new affiliation to be. Voters who wish to change their party status may also use online or mail-in registration forms.
If you are moving to another city or town, you must re-register to vote in your new city or town to remain a voter. If you are moving within the City of Cambridge, send
signed correspondence to the Commission stating your new address along with your former address.
Online or mail-in registration forms may also be used to inform the Commission of the new address.
Send
signed correspondence to the Election office informing the Commission of the name change. Be sure to include both your former name and new name.
Online or mail-in registration forms can also be used to inform the Commission of a name change.
We are normally open on the following hours: Mondays 8:30am –8:00pm, Tuesdays through Thursdays 8:30am – 5:00pm, and Fridays 8:30am to 12:00 noon. We are closed on holidays recognized by the City. We are open on certain special days and certain special hours to accommodate voter registration deadlines and absentee voting. These special hours will be posted on the home page of the Election Commission website.
You are registered to vote on the day you register in person at an official designated office or the postmark date on a mail in registration form. You must register by 10 days before an election to vote in that election. You should receive an acknowledgement notice within two to three weeks after you register. If you do not receive your acknowledgement notice, contact the Election Commission.
You can check your registration status at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/VoterRegistrationSearch/MyVoterRegStatus.aspx
If you have any questions about your registration status, please contact the Election Commission at (617) 349-4361 or Elections2@cambridgema.gov. Please include your name and address in your email.
The ward and precinct determines where residents vote and in which elective district citizens reside. When you register to vote, the acknowledgement notice you receive includes your ward, precinct, and polling location. The staff can also provide information about elective districts, your current elected officials, and names of candidates in election seasons. You can look up your ward, precinct, and district information at
http://www.wheredoivotema.com.
Eligible persons can register at any time during the Election Office’s hours of operation or when outside sessions are conducted. Registration by mail can be done at any time. Online voter registration can be submitted until 11:59 p.m. on the deadline to register for an election.
One may register to vote at any time. However, the deadline to register for any given election is ten days prior to that election.
Your polling location is where you vote. You can look this up at
http://www.wheredoivotema.com and you can view a map of all polling locations
here.
Answering the city census each year ensures that your name will remain on the voting list once you have registered. If you move within the city, inform the Election Commission in writing about your change of address (see “How do I change my address for voting?”). If you were previously registered in another city or town, re-registration from the new address is necessary. You may also inform the Commission if your name changes and you wish to change it for the voting list. Massachusetts state law does not require that you vote in order to keep your name on the voting list.
Voter registration letters or cards are not necessary for voting purposes. However, if you need proof of your Cambridge voter registration, you can go to the Election Commission office and request a letter verifying that you are a registered voter. There is no charge for issuing a voter registration letter.
Call the Elections Division at 1-800-462-VOTE or 617-727-2828