Voting Guide

Vote By Mail

Massachusetts allows any registered voter to request a Vote by Mail Ballot for most elections. To apply, you may submit a signed application to your local election office online, by mail, by email, or by fax.

Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the 5th business day prior to Election Day; however, apply as soon as possible to allow enough time to receive, complete, and return your ballot. You may access the online application or a pdf paper application to be submitted by mail, email, or fax through the below links.

Online Vote by Mail application: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/vote-by-mail-applications.htm

PDF Vote by Mail application: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/voting-information/vote-by-mail.htm

Once you have received and completed your Vote by Mail Ballot, you may return it by:

• Mailing it back using the envelope provided; or

• Hand-delivering your ballot to your local election office; or

• Dropping your ballot off at an early voting location during early voting hours; or

• Using a ballot drop box provided by your city or town.

Your ballot must be received by your local election office by the close of polls on Election Day. Please note that Vote by Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day. You must use one of the above-described methods of delivery.

Use the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Track My Ballot tool to check the status of your ballot, including the date it was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.

Absentee Voting

Although Vote by Mail ballots are more common and may be used by any voter, there are some instances where a smaller number of qualified voters may vote by absentee ballot instead. All registration and ballot return deadlines are the same for absentee ballots as they are for Vote by Mail ballots. Please refer to those rules outlined in the Mail-in section above.

You are eligible to vote by absentee ballot if:

• You will be away from your city or town on Election Day, including voters who are on active military duty, living outside the U.S., incarcerated for a reason other than a felony conviction, attending institutions of higher education, among others;

• You have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling location on Election Day;

• You have a disability that prevents you from voting at your polling location.

Election Day

Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for statewide elections, but some municipalities may open their polling places earlier. Contact your local clerk to verify polling hours. If you are in line by the time polls close, you have a right to vote.