Annual Street List (Town Census)

What is the Annual Street List?

Every city and town in Massachusetts sends out a Town Census form to residents in their community in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws. These forms are used to create the official Annual Street List.

Why Should I Complete it?

Completion of this form is a state requirement
This information helps us to keep an accurate count of people in our community
Failure to return the form by June 1 will lead to removal from the Voter List

Why Do I Want My Name on the List?

The presence your name on the street list may be used to establish residency for things that are important to you:

To qualify for in-state college tuition
For job applications
For special low-cost loan programs
For adoption applications
Years from now you may need to prove that you or your children resided in Princeton or Massachusetts at a certain time, and the street list for each year can provide you with proof of that residency

What is the Information Used for?

Here are a few ways this information supports you and Princeton:

The Board of Registrars uses your response as an acknowledgement of continued residency
The Board uses all the responses to generate an Active Registered Voter List for the upcoming year
The Office of the Jury Commissioner uses each community’s street list to compile a list of residents for jury duty. An accurate list provides a fair and representative jury pool.
Princeton can use the census information for grant applications
Town Departments may also use sections of data for strategic planning purposes (i.e., schools, health and safety).

Your Privacy is Important

The Town Clerk’s Office takes the necessary precautions to be sure that your information is protected:

They input information from your response into a database maintained with security standards as prescribed by the Commonwealth
Not all information provided is accessible to the public
There are no Social Security numbers or financial information tied to the census
The database is not linked to any other system utilized by our Town
The database is not available to other departments

Why am I Receiving Multiple Census Forms?

If everyone in your family is not appearing on the same census form and you are receiving multiple forms, we may have learned that someone in your household has moved to a new address. We can only delete voters when certain criteria are met.

Under What Circumstances Will I Be Deleted from Voter List?

Inactive voters who do not respond to the census or the confirmation mailing and do not vote for 4 consecutive years are deleted from the voting list
You can remove yourself from the voter rolls by sending us a request with your signature
Notification from a household member telling us that you have moved will not automatically remove you from the list

How Can I Return the Form?

You can mail it using the included pre-addressed envelope from your mailing
You can drop it in the box located outside Town Hall.

What if Someone on My Form Has Moved?

You may mark an “M” for “Moved” next to their name in the designated column on the form
They will be removed from your Household
This will not remove them from the voter rolls