Tewksbury Annual Town Census Will Be In Mailboxes This Week

TEWKSBURY, MA — Tewksbury Town Clerk Denise Graffeo is reminding residents about the importance of returning the Annual Town Census as soon as possible.

The census was due to arrive in Tewksbury mailboxes beginning on Monday. Residents are asked to return the census to the Town Clerk's office within 10 days, though Graffeo said her office will continue to process census forms that come in late.

If somebody is a new resident, or simply does not receive the census form, Graffeo is asking them to contact the Town Clerk's office at 978-640-4355 or townclerk@tewksbury-ma.gov.

On the census form, residents will be asked to provide information like: name, date of birth and occupation.

Additionally, voters are required to return the form annually to retain their "active" status on the voter list. A registered voter who fails to respond to the census will be moved to the "Inactive Voter" list by the Board of Registrars, according to the Town officials.

These voters still will be eligible to vote in Tewksbury, but only after completing an Affirmation of Current and Continuous Residence form and showing evidence of residency at the polls or a Town Meeting.

Graffeo explained several reasons why the Annual Town Census is so important:

• It provides information to assure that the town receives its fair share of state and federal funds and grants.
• It is used for calculating benefits for veterans, housing for the elderly and other related benefits for veterans and the elderly.
• As noted previously, the information serves to provide proof of residency to protect voting rights and to maintain the voting list, preventing needless delays at voting precincts.
• The school census provides a projection for future enrollments and related benefits, which allows school administrators to apply for additional state and federal funds and grants.
• With proof of residence, college students are able to apply for lower tuition at all Massachusetts state colleges.

Additionally, dog owners can find a dog registration form attached to the bottom of the census form. By law, all dogs six months of age or older must be registered.

More information about the Annual Town Census is available online.