Woburn City Census Underway To Maintain Active Voter List

WOBURN, MA — The Woburn city census is underway, the City Clerk's Office announced Friday. Nearly 17,000 census forms were mailed, to every household in the city, over recent days, with residents asked to return their form within ten days. Responding to the census is required to maintain active voter status, without which you have to provide identification to vote.

A voter who is listed as inactive has to "sign a roster certifying their current and continuous residence at the address and show identification which matches the address on the voter list," according to a FAQ released by the City Clerk's Office. The census is not the only way for an inactive voter to be reinstated as an active voter, but it's "the easiest," the FAQ says. The census also provides proof of residency for other city purposes, including "veteran's bonuses, housing, applying for certain public jobs, and burial in Woodbrook Cemetary." The annual census is required by state law.

The remainder of the FAQ is below:

Can I tell if I am registered to vote using the census?

An asterisk (*) under the "Voter" column indicates that you are a registered voter in Woburn.

Can I register to vote using the census form?

No. For information on registering to vote, including registering online, go to www.registertovotema.com

I have my census form and everything is accurate, what next?

If there are no changes to be made to the form, please sign and date at the bottom of the form and return in the enclosed envelope or drop off at the City Clerk's Office during regular business hours.

The information on the census form is incorrect, how can I change this?

If the entire household moved within or outside of Woburn, clearly write the new address in the blank lines at the top of the form. Every voter in the household should sign the form so that their voting address can be changed within Woburn or removed from the Woburn voter list for those moving out of the city. Voters can go to www.registertovotema.com to register in their new community.

If an individual listed on the form has moved, place an "M" under the "M-Moved, D-Deceased" column and provide the new address. If the individual is a voter and moved within the city, they should sign the form so that they can be moved to the new address on the Woburn voter list. If the voter moved out of the city, they can go to www.registertovotema.com to register in their new community. Without the voter's signature or the voter registering at a new address, the individual will be placed on the inactive voter list.

If an individual listed on the form has died, place a "D" under the "M-Moved, D-Deceased" column and provide the date of death and community. This information will allow the city to investigate and remove the voter from the list in the event a death certificate is not already on file with the City Clerk's Office.

If there is any other change needed, such as spelling of a name, date of birth, gender, occupation, or if there are duplicate listings for the same person, indicate those changes on the form on the line below the individual's line. For a registered voter with a change to the spelling of their name or date of birth, have the voter sign the form so that the changes can be made on the voter list.

There is a form for registering a dog, but I have no dog.

The dog registration form is offered as a convenience for residents who own a dog. If you do not have a dog, you do not have to do anything with the dog registration portion of the form. However, complete the remainder of the form regarding the residents of the household and return to the City Clerk's Office.

How do I get a census form if I did not receive one or lost my copy.

You can download a blank form and fill in the information including your address and the name, gender, date of birth, occupation and veteran status for each resident. Go to www.cityofwoburn.com and check under “Latest News” for the link.

What is an inactive voter?

An inactive voter means that the city has not received a response from the census mailing for a particular voter. You can check if you are a registered voter and have active or inactive status anytime at www.state.ma.us and click on the Am I Registered to Vote? link. If a voter is listed as inactive on election day, they must sign a roster certifying their current and continuous residence at the address and show identification which matches the address on the voter list. There are a number of ways that an inactive voter can be reinstated to the active voter status, but the easiest is to return the census. If you have not done so yet, send your census form back today!

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.