950 CMR, § 57.02

Current through Register 1536, December 6, 2024

Section 57.02 - General Provisions

(1)Definitions. Terms used in 950 CMR 57.00 shall have the meanings provided in M.G.L. c. 50, § 1. In addition:

Acknowledgment Notice means a written notice required by M.G.L. c. 51, § 42H, sent by a registrar to a registrant notifying the registrant of the disposition of the affidavit of voter registration.

Active Voter means a voter whose name and address are in the current annual register of voters.

Agency Form means an affidavit of voter registration that is completed at a registration agency. Such form is designed to provide the applicant with a copy thereof at the time of registration at a registration agency.

Applicant means an individual, either a registrant or pre-registrant, who has completed an affidavit of voter registration or who has not opted out of Automatic Voter Registration.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) means a process by which necessary information of an applicant who does not opt out at an Automatic Voter Registration Agency is transmitted by the AVR Agency for the purpose of voter registration.

Automatic Voter Registration Health Agency (AVR Health Agency) means the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority and the Office of Medicaid in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

Automatic Voter Registration Registry of Motor Vehicle Agency (AVR RMV Agency) means the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Confirmation Notice means a notice, required by M.G.L. c. 51, § 37, sent by forwardable mail to a voter who is believed to have changed their residence to another city or town, by the registrars, which is:

(a) postage prepaid;

(b) contains a postage prepaid and preaddressed return card;

(c) instructs the voter to return the card if they did not change their residence from the city or town; and

(d) contains additional information about remaining eligible to vote.

Inactive Voter means a voter whose name and address have not been entered in the annual register of voters but is maintained on an inactive voters list.

Mail-in Agency Form means an affidavit of voter registration that may be completed outside of a voter registration agency, contains the voter registration agency's code and is considered to have originated at an agency.

Mail-in Form means an affidavit of voter registration that may be completed outside of a voter registration agency. Mail-in Form includes mail-in agency forms and online mail-in forms.

Online Mail-in Form means an affidavit of voter registration that may be completed as a result of a voter registration transaction that could not be completed and submitted through the online application.

Pre-register means the registration process by which an applicant who has reached 16 years of age and who possesses all the qualifications to be registered as a voter, except that of age, may complete a voter registration application to be qualified to vote upon reaching 18 years old on or before the next election or conduct Automatic Voter Registration at an AVR Agency.

Pre-registrant means an applicant who is 16 years of age or older and has pre-registered to vote, but will not be eligible to vote until the election after which they turn 18 years of age.

Registrant means a person applying to register as a voter in Massachusetts or a registered voter who is submitting an application to make changes to their voter registration.

Registration Agency means a location where eligible citizens may register or pre-register as voters including city or town clerk's offices, military recruitment offices, offices of the Registry, all state agencies that provide public assistance or assistance to people with disabilities, offices that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to people with disabilities and any other office which the Secretary shall designate by regulation.

(a) Other offices designated as Registration Agencies shall include Armed Services Recruitment Centers; the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth; the Southeastern Division of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Western of the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.

(b) State Agencies that Provide Public Assistance shall include those agencies that administer or provide services under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Women, Infants, & Children (WIC), Emergency Aid to Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC), the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) programs, and the Health Care Connector.

(c) State Agencies that Provide Assistance to People with Disabilities shall include: the Commission for the Blind; the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission; the Department of Mental Health; the Department of Developmental Services; and offices that primarily provide disability services at public institutions of higher education.