Midterms 2026: How to register to vote safely

Massachusetts residents must register to vote by Oct. 24 to participate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Here’s how to make sure your registration is in order before the deadline. 

First, know what not to do. Experts say never to open emails claiming to help you register. The National Association of Secretaries of State issued a guide to election season scams. People trying to sign up voters in person should also be carefully scrutinized, as this article by AARP warned. In September, social media users warned that VoteSafe.org, a voter registration site owned by Elon Musk’s America PAC, shares voters’ personal data with outside entities, according to a Snopes investigation.

The safest way to register is through the Secretary of the Commonwealth. You can check your voter registration status on the state’s “Find my registration status” database. Registration is available online, by mail or in person. The registration deadline also applies to voters updating their information or changing their party enrollment. 

To register by mail, voters must complete a registration form and send it to their local election office. Waltham residents should send forms to the City Clerk’s office at 610 Main St. First-time voters registering in Massachusetts should include a copy of an identification card. Otherwise, an ID may be required when voting. 

To register online, residents must have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. Online registration forms must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 24. 

To register in person, Waltham residents can visit the City Clerk’s office, the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth or one of the Secretary’s regional offices. 

New U.S. citizens can register to vote when they become citizens, using a paper registration form by mail or in person. If someone becomes a U.S. citizen after the voter registration deadline, they may still register in person at their local election office until 4 p.m. on the day before the election. They should bring proof that their naturalization ceremony took place after the registration deadline. 

Massachusetts residents can also register automatically  when applying for or renewing a driver’s license, learner’s permit or state ID; requesting MassHealth benefits; or enrolling in health insurance through the Commonwealth Health Connector.

Residents should update their voter registration whenever they move so their new address appears on their registration. 

Registered voters can vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, which will decide races for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Governor, along with other state and local offices and statewide ballot questions.