Massachusetts Voter Registration Deadline is Oct. 17

Norwood residents who want to vote in the 2012 presidential election and other federal and state races have under a month left until the Massachusetts voter registration deadline.

The registration deadline is Wednesday, Oct 17. Voters can register in the Norwood Town Clerk's office, in room 32 on the second floor of the Town Hall, which is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Residents can also download a mail-in voter registration form on the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website. Once that form is filled out and signed, it must be mailed to the Norwood Town Clerk's Office postmarked by Wednesday, Oct. 17 for you to be eligible to vote.

Massachusetts also allows voters to vote by absentee ballot, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website, if they:

• Will be absent from their city or town on Election Day, and/or
• Have a physical disability that prevents them from voting at the polling
  place, and/or
• Cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs.

Absentee ballot applications can be downloaded from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website or picked up at the Norwood Town Clerk's office. The deadline to apply for absentee ballots is noon the day before the election, Monday, Nov. 5, although it is recommended to submit the application as soon as possible.

If you are voting from outside the United States, your completed absentee ballot can be received up until 10 days after the election, but must be postmarked on or before Election Day.

For more information, visit the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website, visit the Town of Norwood website or contact the Norwood Town Clerk's Office at (781) 762-1240.