Sharon: Annual Census FAQ
1) Didn’t I just fill out the census?
You may be thinking of the Federal Census, which is taken every ten years and is completely separate from the Annual Census, or you could be thinking of the Annual Census that you filled out last year. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires a Census be taken every year.
2) If nothing has changed, do I need to return the census?
Yes. Failure to respond for two consecutive years shall result in removal from the active voting list and may result in removal from the voter registration rolls (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 51, Section 4c)
3) If I turned in my census last year, does that mean that I can skip this year with no penalty?
You may not be moved to the inactive list, but the Town Clerk’s Office is required to make as complete and accurate an accounting as possible. For every census that is not returned, a follow up will be mailed. Following up on missing censuses costs money that is paid for with your tax dollars.
4) I made a change to a member of my family’s information in last year’s census. Why is it still incorrect this year?
The most likely reason is that the member of your family is a registered voter and did not sign off on the change. Anyone who is a registered voter must sign off on any changes made to their information. If changes are made to the information of several registered voters, they must all sign.
5) There is only one signature spot on the form, how can everyone sign?
The “Signature of Respondent” part of the form is just for the primary person returning the form. Any registered voters who are signing off on a change can just sign next to the change.
6) How do I know if someone is a registered voter?
Registered voters have a letter in the “Voter” column of the form.
7) What does the “U” in the “Voter” Column mean?
The “U” stands for “Unenrolled.” This can be a bit confusing, but “Unenrolled” means that the person is registered to vote, but is not registered with a political party. Other common letters you might find are “D” for Democrat, “R” for Republican, “L” for Libertarian, “J” for Green Rainbow, and “CC” for United Independent Party; less common letters include “X” for Pirate and “AA” for Pizza. If you have a designation you are unable to identify, please reach out to the Town Clerk’s Office.
8) There is not a letter in the “Voter” column next to my name, what does that mean?
That means that you are not registered to vote in the Town of Sharon. If you are eligible to become a registered voter, please click here to download a form, or reach out to the Town Clerk’s Office.
9) How do I make changes to someone who is not a registered voter?Just mark the changes on the form?
Unregistered voters do not need to approve changes.
10) What determines which member of my family is sent the census?
The Commonwealth’s system only allows the census to be mailed to one member of a family. If, when moving to town, you designated a particular person to be the “mail to” person on your first census, they are the person whose name appears on the mailing. If no such person was selected, the system defaults to the oldest member of the family. If you want to change the recipient, please indicate the changes in the “mail to” column.
11) What is with the dog tear off form at the bottom?
This form is provided as a convenience to dog owners who would like to register their dog by mail. If you do not have a dog or would prefer to register your dog by another method, you can just ignore the form. Additional information of how to register dogs can be found by clicking here.