FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 11, 2009

Contact: Geraldine Cuddyer
617-635-4634

LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE, UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR PRELIMINARY MUNICIPAL ELECTION IS SEPTEMBER 2

BOSTON, MA – The City of Boston’s Board of Election Commissioners reminds prospective new voters, and current voters who have moved since the 2008 election, that the last day to register, or change your voting address, for the Preliminary Municipal Election is Wednesday, September 2.

Boston voters will be going to the polls on September 22 to select candidates for the office of Mayor, with the top two (2) vote-getters facing off in November. The field of 15 candidates in the At-Large City Council race will be winnowed down to the top eight (8) finishers, who will vie for four (4) seats. There are also District City Council contests in three (3) districts: District 1, District 7 and District 9. The two (2) highest finishers in each of these districts will run against each other in the final election. The final Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

Voting in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including Boston, is address-based. Voters can make sure that their voting information is current by checking online at www.cityofboston.gov/elections and clicking on the link “Voter Registration Search.”

If you are currently registered to vote in the City of Boston, but are at a new address: Write a brief note, giving your full name, date of birth, old voting address, and new voting address, as well as a means of contact (telephone number or e-mail address). Sign the note, and mail to: Boston Election Department, Room 241; Boston City Hall, Boston, MA 02201. You may also download a new voter registration form from the website, and use it to change your residential information.

If you are currently registered in Massachusetts, but not in Boston: You must re-register to vote. Download a National Voter Registration form from www.cityofboston.gov/elections or call 617-635-3767, and a new form will be sent to you.

All new voter registration forms or address changes must be postmarked no later than September 2, 2009 in order to be recognized for the Preliminary Municipal Election. For more information, please contact the Boston Election Department at 617-635-3767 or visit the website: www.cityofboston.gov/elections.