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Massachusetts
Voting Guide
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 10 days before Election Day
2022
General Election Registration Deadline: October 29
General Election: November 8
Official Election Websites
More election information at:
http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/
Online voter registration available at:
Mail-in voter registration available at:
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Massachusetts’ mail-in voter registration form asks for your Massachusetts driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.
To complete your voter registration online, you must have a Massachusetts-issued driver’s license or ID number.
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Massachusetts does not require ID to vote.
How Can I Vote?
Massachusetts adopted no-excuse early voting by mail in 2022. Any voter may now request a Vote by Mail ballot by submitting a signed application to their local election office. The Vote by Mail application may be submitted to your local election's office online, by mail, by email, and by fax.
The online application is available at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/MailInRequestWeb/MailInBallot.aspx
A paper application and full details on the new early voting by mail process and limited instances of voters who should still use the previous absentee ballot process can be found at https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleabsentee/absidx.htm
Mail-in ballots must be requested in writing at least 5 business days before Election Day. The deadline for 2022 is 5 p.m., Tuesday, November 1, 2022. However, apply as soon as possible, to leave plenty of time for your mail-in ballot request to be sent to and for you to be able to complete and return it.
You may return your ballot 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.
Ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day.
For the November 8, 2022 General Election, ballots returned in person or by drop box must be delivered by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots returned by mail from inside the United States must be postmarked by Election Day.
For all other elections, ballots must reach your local election office by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.
Use the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Track My Ballot tool to check the status of your ballot. The tracker will show you the date your ballot was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.
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.
Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.
Will registering to vote in Massachusetts affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a new resident of Massachusetts, you may be required to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license or update your car registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, you may wish to contact the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Massachusetts legal professional.
Last updated September 2022