Signing Petitions – Instructions

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FOLDING petitions is OK (PER SECRETARY OF STATE).

ONLY REGISTERED MA VOTER SIGNATURES COUNT – Check your status here. Voters can be removed from rolls if failing to vote in 2 federal elections (4 years) and failing to respond to mailed confirmations.

DO NOT make ANY other marks. If you make a mistake, just use another line. DO NOT STRIKE, CORRECT, OR LINE MISTAKES. Extra marks, even coffee stains, underlining, doodles, et cetera, invalidate petitions.

1. Only 1 town may be listed on a petition!
2. Sign as registered and, if messy, print your name too.
3. Print your street and number (and apt.# if any).
4. Leave blank the ward and precinct (prec.).
5. MARRIED — sign your own name (e.g. Mary Smith, not Mrs. John Smith).
6. PHYSICALLY DISABLED only — may authorize another person to sign for you.
7. Start a new sheet after a petition page is half filled to prevent accidents!
8. TURN IN BY DEADLINE. Signature sheets must be turned in to town election officials before 5 p.m. 20 November (a Wednesday). Make sure they’re open! The deadline is on the petition. Find your election officials at the secretary of state here.
9. DONATE TO HELP COLLECT PETITIONS. Legally, clerks can keep sheets till 2 December but we need it sooner to send to the Secretary of State in Boston before the deadline which is 5 p.m. 4 December (also a Wednesday).

For information on where to legally collect signatures in public spaces, click here.

For information on turning in and reporting signatures, click here!

For printable instructions, see here.