How to Register, Vote and Track Your Ballot in Massachusetts

En español | Massachusetts offers several ways to register to vote, including automatic registration when you renew your driver’s license. No-excuse mail voting, introduced during the 2022 elections, lets any registered voter cast a mail ballot without a reason.

The 2022 midterms decided races for governor, seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislature and other statewide offices. The next statewide elections are in 2024, with elections in some cities, including Boston, in 2023. More information about Boston’s upcoming election is available at boston.gov/departments/election.

• Upcoming elections: Information about upcoming statewide elections is available at the secretary of the commonwealth's website.

• Mail voting: All registered voters may vote by mail without an excuse. Certain people, including active military members, still should request an absentee ballot.
  

• Early in-person voting: Vote early at your local election office or another early voting site.
  

• Voting at the polls: Inactive and first-time voters may be asked to show an ID, such as a driver’s license, at the polls on Election Day.

A 2022 law established no-excuse mail voting, extended the voter registration window and expanded early voting with weekend hours. The law also mandates prepaid postage for vote-by-mail applications and ballots, among other changes.

Redistricting in 2021 has altered certain boundaries of state legislative and U.S. congressional districts.

Register online, by mail or in person:

• Online: If you have a Massachusetts driver’s license or state ID card, you can register online through the state’s voter registration system.
  

• By mail: Download a registration form, complete it and mail it to your local election office. Or call your local election office or the state elections division at 1-800-462-8683 to request a form.
  

• In person: Go to your local election office during normal business hours to register or update your information.

You’ll automatically be registered to vote at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles if you apply for or renew a license unless you opt out. You’ll also be automatically registered if you apply for state health insurance through MassHealth or the Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s health insurance exchange.

Check your registration status using the state’s online voter portal.

Every registered voter in Massachusetts can vote by mail without a reason. Before an election, request a mail ballot online, by mail or in person:

• Online: Go to the state’s online mail ballot application system. You must verify your voter registration status before requesting a mail ballot. Or print and complete an application, then email or fax it to your local election office. Your form must be signed or include a photocopy of your signature.

• By mail: Download, print and complete an application. Or fill out the pre-addressed form you received in the mail. Mail your completed form to your local election office. You’re encouraged to apply at least two weeks before Election Day to allow for postal delays. 

• In person: Hand-deliver your completed application to your local election office.

U.S. citizens living overseas, active military members, incarcerated residents without a felony conviction and voters who are hospitalized and need an emergency absentee ballot should request an absentee ballot. Go to the secretary of the commonwealth’s website to download an absentee ballot form.

Return your completed ballot by mail or in person:

• By mail: Mail your ballot to your local election office by the deadline listed at the secretary of the commonwealth's website.

• In person: You or anyone living in your household can hand-deliver your mail ballot to your local election office or early voting location. Or place your ballot in a secure ballot drop box by the deadline.
  

If you’ve been admitted to a health care facility within a week of the election, you can designate someone to pick up an absentee ballot and return it for you before polls close.

Note that you can’t drop off your ballot at a polling place on Election Day. If you’ve applied for a mail ballot but not yet returned it, you still can choose to vote in person.

Track your ballot through the secretary of the commonwealth’s website. 

Cast your ballot early and in person at your local election office or another early vote site. More information about early voting will be made available at the secretary of the commonwealth’s website as statewide elections approach.

Find your polling place at the state's voter portal. Check with your local election office to confirm voting hours. If you were in line before the polls closed, you’ll still be allowed to vote.

If you’re a first-time Massachusetts voter who registered by mail, or if you’re an inactive voter who didn’t respond to your annual city or town census to confirm your address, you may be asked to show an ID that proves your name and address. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver’s license, utility bill or bank statement. 

If you’re a first-time voter without ID, you can cast a provisional ballot. Your vote will be counted if you return with identification before the polls close.

If your name is on the inactive voter list, you can cast a challenged ballot that will be re-examined only if there’s a recount, court order or audit.


Editor’s note: This guide was updated on Nov. 9, 2022, with more information about how to vote in Massachusetts. The guide was first published on Aug. 6, 2020.

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