Every resident and registered voter will be sent the 2024 Local Census/Street Listing form in January. Please be sure you list ALL people in your household by giving last name, first name, middle name or initial, date of birth, occupation (if you choose), telephone number (if you choose) and sign and date the form, then return to us either by mail to the Town Clerk's Office, PO Box 240, Conway, MA 01341, by leaving in the dropbox at 5 Academy Hill Rd. or via email to clerk@conwayma.gov. You may also bring your census form to the Town Clerk's Office in the Town Hall at 5 Academy Hill Road during normal business hours or drop your form off in an envelope in the Town Clerk's mailbox located at the Town Office Building at 32 Main Street. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to us by phone at 413-369-4235 ext. 4 or by email.

Why do you need to fill this out every year?

Massachusetts state law required that each town compile an annual street list. In Conway, as in most towns, the Town Clerk’s office does this work. The law regarding the annual street list can be found in M.G.L. Chapter 51, particularly sections 4 & 6, although other chapters of the law also apply.

How is the information used?

The information from the returned street list forms has many different uses. These are a few:

• The Town Clerk uses it to maintain the list of registered voters and to help the town keep an up-to-date list of where residents live.
• The School Department can use them to project future levels of school enrollment.
• The Town uses the information when applying for grants and to estimate possible demand for certain services.
• The Office of the Jury Commissioner uses each community’s street list to compile a list of residents for jury duty.

It is important to return your street list, because years from now, you may need to prove that you or your children lived in Conway, or resided in Massachusetts at a certain time, and the street list for that year could be your only proof of residency.

Is the information confidential?

There are multiple layers of password protection on the computer where the information is stored. The Commonwealth also maintains the security of the system in accordance with the Massachusetts data security laws. Information about those ages 17 and under is never released to the public.

Who should complete the form?

Any adult residing in the home can complete and sign the form.

How do I complete the form?

Please look over the names listed on the form. If there are no changes, simply sign at the bottom and return it to the Town Clerk. Add any new people who reside at your address and indicate “M” or “D” if someone has moved or died. If someone has moved please include their new address if known. Check to see that the date of birth is correct for each person. Please add or correct occupations listed on the form. The “Party” column tells you what each person’s voter registration is. No letter in the Party column means the person is not registered to vote in Conway. You CANNOT use this street list form to change your voter registration or register to vote. Please contact the Town Clerk for a voter registration form. Check the number or dogs and/or cats you own, if any. If your household received more than one form, please put all of the household members’ names on one form and return all of the forms you’ve received in the same envelope. We will be able to make corrections in the system so your household received only one mailing next year.

What if a family member is serving in the military, away at college, or in a nursing home?

If a family member is away at college, in the military, in a nursing home, or an assisted living facility, DO NOT remove them from your residence. Continue to list them as residents in the home. This will ensure residency for voting purposes.

What happens if I don’t return the form?

By law every household that fails to complete the form must be contacted a second time, which takes additional time, paper and postage, and costs you, the taxpayer, unnecessarily.

Registered voters who do not return the Annual Street List Form and do not respond to a follow-up mailing must be designated as inactive voters on the street list. ALL the registered voters at the address will become inactive. Such persons will only be eligible to vote after they fill out an “Affirmation of Current and Continuous Residence” the next time they come to vote.

By not completing and returning your form, you could also affect the town’s ability to obtain grant funding based on population, and affect the government representation at the state and federal levels.

So please return your form as soon as possible.

What if I have other questions or concerns?

Please feel free to call (413-369-4235 ext. 4), email (clerk@conwayma.gov) or come into the Town Clerk’s office during normal office hours for assistance. The street list is an important tool for the town, and the information needs to be as accurate as possible.