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 clerks before 5 p.m. 22 November (a Wednesday). Make sure they’re open!
9. COLLECT VERIFIED PETITIONS AND RETURN – instructions here. Legally, clerks can keep sheets till 4 December but we need it sooner to send to the Secretary of State in Boston before the deadline which is 5 p.m. 6 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.