CHESHIRE, Mass. — Voters wishing to cast ballots in next week's primary and the general election should check their voting status: the town clerk's office reported about 900 inactive voters in July.

 

Town Clerk Whitney Flynn last week was announcing the state primary election date, Tuesday, Sept. 1 with early voting being: 

She told the Selectmen that her office would be doing voter testing on Saturday, which was open for residents to observe.

 

In June, during the annual town meeting, Flynn reported there were more than 2,500 registered voters and on Tuesday, said more than a third have become inactive. The town's voting list is updated annually and those who have not responded to the annual town census are placed on "inactive" status. And those who don't vote in two consecutive state/federal elections while inactive are removed from the voter list. 

 

"I encourage everyone to check their voter registration status. Nine hundred people were made inactive on the voter list," said Flynn. "It doesn't mean they can't come to vote. It just means that if they didn't fill out that continuous and concurrent residency form by signature that I sent out all those postcards for."

 

Residents can contact her or return the inactive voter cards she sent out by mail back in July to become active again or remove their name from the list. After the inactive postcards went out, Flynn said she received many back but still has around 500 inactive.

 

She urged voters to check their status online as some census cards were not verifiable. If you are inactive you can still vote, just be sure to have a document with your name and current residency when you arrive at the polls. 

 

Flynn also added she is always looking for more poll workers.