Voter Registration

Residents may register to vote at the Town Clerk's Office any weekday during business hours. Special voter registration hours are provided twenty (20) days before any election or Town Meeting. . For Special Town Meetings, for those not already registered to vote, one must be registered to vote ten (10) days before the meeting.  You can now register to vote on-line through the mass.gov wesite.  Residents may also register at any Registry of Motor Vehicles Office or other State Agencies. They may also obtain a Mail-in Voter Registration form at the Norwell Post Office, the Norwell Public Library, or the Town Clerk's office (781-659-8072).

Qualifications for Voting

A voter must meet the following qualifications to vote in the municipality:

  • Must be a U. S. citizen;
  • Must be a Norwell resident; and
  • Must be at least 18 years old on or before the next election.

Any citizen wishing to register to vote may do so at the Town Clerk's Office. Special registration times are set up twenty days before each election or Town Meeting. At that time voting hours are 8 am to 8 pm. Residents may also register to vote at any state agency or by mail. Applications may be found at the Norwell Post Office or the Norwell Public Library and, of course, the Town Clerk's office (781-659-8072/73).

Applying For Absentee Ballots:

Absentee Ballots may only be applied for if the voter:

  1. Will be absent from Norwell during the hours the polls are open;
  2. Has a physical disability; or
  3. Religious beliefs prevent the voter from coming to the polls on election day.

Permanently disabled voters may obtain a note from their physician which should then be mailed to the Town Clerk/Board of Registrars and twenty-eight (28) days before each election, an application for an Absentee Ballot will be automatically mailed to the voter.

A voter may request an Absentee Ballot be mailed to him/her via a signed note or by an application that must be filled out and signed. A "family member" may also request an Absentee Ballot for another "family member". This "family member" must be a spouse or person residing in the same household, in-laws, father, mother, sister or brother of the whole or half blood, son, daughter, adopting parent or adopted child, stepparent or stepchild, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparent or grandchild. You can also obtain an Absentee Ballot Application online or at the Town Clerk's Office.

Voting at Town Clerk's Office: - A voter may cast his/her absentee ballot at Town Hall during normal working hours. All absentee ballots must be applied for by noon on the day before the election. At that time, the Town Clerk's office closes to the public to prepare for the election.

Note: All absentee ballots requested for a family member MUST BE MAILED to the Voter. THEY MAY NOT BE HAND CARRIED TO THE VOTER, BUT THEY MAY BE HAND-CARRIED BACK TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE BY A FAMILY MEMBER.

No witnesses are needed, unless the voter is assisted. If assisted, the person doing the assisting signs the bottom of the ballot and gives the reason why. The voter returns the ballot by mail or in person to the Clerk.