Be Counted! Annual Street Listing (Town Census) In Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury MA

17 March, 2022

9:48 PM

Description

Press release from the Town of Shrewsbury: March 17, 2022 Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 51, § 4 mandates an annual street listing (town census) of residents as of January 1st of each year. Annually, residents are mailed a street listing (census) form to complete. Please respond promptly to this state requirement, which provides proof of residence to protect voting rights, veteran's benefits, housing for the elderly and related benefits as well as providing information for selection of jurors. Return the form to the Town Clerk's Office either by mail or by dropping it in black "Town Bills and Correspondence" box outside of Town Hall, 100 Maple Ave. If you need assistance or have questions, please feel free to contact: Town Clerk's Office at (508)-841-8507 or email:[email protected] WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO RETURN THE CENSUS? The Census is used to... All residents, not just voters, should return the form each year. If you wish to verify your voter registration status, click here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/OVR/ Why do I have to answer the Annual Street Listing/Census? It's important to return your street list, because years from now, you may need to prove that you or your children lived in Shrewsbury or resided in Massachusetts during a certain time period and the street list for that year is the proof of residency. And YES you need to answer it each and every year. What do I need to do with the form? Please look over the names listed on the form. If there are no changes to the pre-printed information, simply sign and date the form and return it to the Town Clerk's Office. What happens if I don't return the form? Registered voters who do not return the Annual Street List Form mailing will be designated as "Inactivate" voters on the street list. Inactive voters are removed from the voters list if they do not vote in at least one of the following state elections. Such persons will only be eligible to vote after they fill out an "Affirmation of Current and Continuous Residence" the next time they come to vote. Every voter that fails to complete the form has to be contacted a second time by confirmation notice, which takes additional time, paper and postage. How is the Census Information Used? The information from the returned street list forms has many different uses. These are some of them: Who should complete the street list form? Any adult residing in the home can complete and sign the form. Please indicate any forwarding addressed of those who have moved to another address. This press release was produced by the Town of Shrewsbury. The views expressed here are the author's own.