Hanover MA Town Clerk

06/15/2026

The next step in the alleged nomination paper forgery situation begins this week. For more details about these and other hearings that don’t feature nomination papers that Hanover Registrars questioned, go to: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/publications/hearing-notices.htm

06/12/2026

https://www.hanover-ma.gov/finance-department/town-clerk/pages/massachusetts-lieutenant-governor-nomination-papers-2026

06/06/2026

Lt. Governor candidate Manning Martin and Attorney General candidate Walsh were accused this week of submitting fraudulent signatures on their nomination papers, and a review by the State Ballot Law Commission was requested. Lt. Governor candidate Brensley was not similarly accused.

The Democratic Party filed formal objections Wednesday to the candidates’ campaigns and called for them both to withdraw.

06/05/2026

With the Mass Town Clerks’ Association this past week as we prepare for the midterm elections.

06/02/2026

Every year, the Town of Hanover gathers resident information for our Annual Street List. This is also known as our town census. The Town mailed residents a census form back in early January. Residents were required by law to fill it out, sign it and mail it back to confirm their address.

Three thousand, two hundred and fifty-one (3,251) individual Hanover residents (likely over a thousand households) did NOT respond to the Annual Street List mailing. As a result, those residents have now been put on the inactive voters list as of June 1, 2026.

Before the end of June, the Hanover Town Clerk’s Office will mail you a confirmation notice postcard. If you sign it, confirming that you are still at that address, and return it, you will be removed from the inactive voters list before the September State Primary and November State Election, 2026. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter!

06/01/2026

"Whoever falsely makes or wilfully alters, defaces, mutilates, destroys or suppresses a certificate of nomination or nomination paper, or letter of withdrawal of a name from such paper, or an initiative petition or a petition for the submission of a question to the voters, or unlawfully signs any such certificate, paper, letter or petition, or files any such certificate, paper, letter or petition, knowing the same to be falsely made or altered, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year." (M.G. L. Chapter 56, Section 11).

Tuesday, June 2nd at 5:00 p.m. is the deadline for candidates for state-wide office to turn in their nomination papers to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The papers become public record after that.

05/27/2026

The allegedly forged nomination papers for Lieutenant Governor candidates Anne Brensley and Anne Manning Martin were picked up by the candidate or their representatives on Monday, May 26. This below letter accompanied both packets of nomination papers.

It is now up to the candidates to determine how to proceed, including whether or not to turn the nomination papers in as legitimate to the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the June 2, 2026 due date for all nomination papers.

05/21/2026

The alleged forgery of names of our neighbors and friends in Hanover on a candidate's nomination papers may have a state-wide impact.

“Entire batches were rejected. Towns where the campaign had supposedly gathered signatures appeared to have little or no actual activity."