Overview
The Town Clerk Office is considered the heart of local government and is usually the first stop for many people walking into Town Hall. The Office is committed to providing professional, friendly, and compassionate service to all who enter and strives to be a cooperative partner with our departments, boards, and committees.
Among the chief duties of the Town Clerk are to:
- Serve as Chief Election Official updating the voter registration rolls, planning and managing all Town and State Elections
- Maintain Vital Records including the issuance of birth, death, and marriage certificates as well as the distribution of the Annual Street Listing Census
- Issue Licenses and Permits including business certificates, dog licenses, burial permits, marriage intentions, raffle permits and off-leash dog walking permits
- Serve as the Record Access Officer, coordinate public record requests, and provide oaths of Office for all elected and appointed commissions
In addition to our Town Election and Town Meeting responsibilities, last year the Town Clerk’s office, in our day-to-day operations:
- Distributed and tallied 10,992 annual street listing census forms
- Issued 863 original birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Posted 875 meeting agendas in compliance with Open Meeting Laws (OML)
- Registered over 300 new voters
- Issued over 1,200 dog licenses
- Received and oversaw 156 public record requests, and
- Issued 169 business licenses
Frequently Asked Questions
Not surprisingly, many questions that come into the Town Clerk’s Office concern voters and voting. In that capacity, we regularly interact with the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and with the Office of the Attorney General.
Am I registered to vote?
We are happy to look that up for you. Or you can log on to the Secretary of the Commonwealth "My Voter Status” webpage and follow the simple instructions.
How do I change my address or party affiliation?
The same holds true. We are more than happy to help, or you can log on to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s “My Voter Registration Status” page.
How many registered voters are in Hingham?
Hingham currently has 19,750 registered voters and 65% are not enrolled in any party, known as Unenrolled or “Independent” voters.
How far back do Hingham’s public records go?
Is the official public records keeper for Hingham, the Town Clerk’s Office is in possession of vital and land records dating back to the 1620s.
How many dogs are registered in Hingham?
Hingham currently has approximately 2,500 registered dogs. Everything you need to know (and do!) about licensing your dog can be found under Licenses & Permits on the Town Clerk’s official website.
Where can I get Hingham business certificate information such as ‘Do I need one?’ and ‘How do I apply?’
The Town of Hingham requires those who are doing business in the town, under a name not their own, if not incorporated, to file a certificate with the Town Clerk's Office. That information also can be found under Licenses & Permits on the Town Clerk’s official website.
What should residents know about the Town Clerk?
2024 is a big election year! Our goal for the year has been to manage all these elections and continue to offer the same level of service to residents throughout the year efficiently and effectively.
With the State Primary held on September 3, we are looking ahead to the Presidential Election on November 5.
During Election Season, if you requested an early vote-by-mail ballot, please mail it in at least a week ahead of the deadline. Sometimes the mail can be delayed, and we want your vote to count! Also, Unenrolled voters must choose a party ballot in a Primary Election. This can sometimes confuse Unenrolled voters, who do not belong to a political party, that they can still vote.
Employee Spotlight
Meet the Town Clerk and Her Team
Carol M. Falvey is the Hingham Town Clerk, having been first elected in May 2021, and re-elected April 2024. Carol is an attorney who has been a Member of the Massachusetts Bar for over 40 years. Carol also served on the Hingham School Committee from 2011-2016. Among her chief duties as Town Clerk, Carol is the Town’s Chief Election Official planning and managing all Town and State elections
Jennifer Donnelly has been the Assistant Town Clerk since September 2021. Jennifer oversees the issuance of vital records, is the Clerk’s point person for the early voting process, updates voter registrations, posts agendas in compliance with the OML, and manages marriage intention interviews.
Laura Donnelly and Christina Hurley are part-time Senior Clerks, having joined the Clerk’s office in September 2023 and July 2024, respectively. Both handle residents’ inquiries – in person and in writing, update voter registrations, process business certificates, post agendas in compliance with the OML, process dog licensing and off-leash permits, and conduct historical research.
As part of our efforts to make Town Government more accessible to residents, Hingham will spotlight each Town department throughout the year. Our goal is to educate citizens about the inner workings of their local administration and the many responsibilities it holds.