How to Vote in Massachusetts' 2024 Elections
Important dates
- Last day to register to vote: Saturday, Oct. 26
- Last day to apply for a mail ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 29
- Early in-person voting: Saturday, Oct. 19, to Friday, Nov. 1
- Last day to return mail ballot: Tuesday, Nov. 5
- Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 5
Voting at a glance
- Voter registration: You can register to vote online, by mail or in person. Check your registration status using the state’s voter portal.
- Mail voting: All registered voters may vote by mail without a reason. Certain people, including active-duty military members, should request an absentee ballot.
- Early voting: All registered voters may vote in person or by mail before Election Day.
- Voting at the polls: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Inactive and some first-time voters may be asked to show identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID card or a recent utility bill.
Recent changes to voting in Massachusetts
A 2022 law established no-excuse mail voting, extended the voter registration window and expanded early voting with weekend hours. The law mandates prepaid postage for vote-by-mail applications and ballots, among other changes.
How to register to vote
Register to vote for the general election through Saturday, Oct. 26:
- Online: If you have a Massachusetts driver’s license or state identification card, you can register or update your information through the state’s voter registration system. Register online by 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.
- By mail: Download, print and fill out a mail-in registration form. Or call your local election office or the state elections division at 800-462-8683 to request one be sent to you. Include your signature and your current Massachusetts driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number on the form before mailing it to your election office. Forms must be postmarked by Saturday, Oct. 26.
- In person: Go to your election office, the secretary of the commonwealth’s elections division office or a secretary of the commonwealth’s regional office during normal business hours. Register in person through Saturday, Oct. 26.
Note that Massachusetts residents applying or renewing licenses at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, applying for benefits with MassHealth or applying for health insurance with Commonwealth Health Connector are automatically registered to vote.
Registering to vote on Election Day
Massachusetts does not offer same-day registration.
Check your voter registration status
Use the state’s voter portal to check your registration.
How to request a mail ballot
Every registered voter in Massachusetts can vote by mail without a reason. All registered voters who haven’t applied for a mail ballot will be sent a pre-addressed, postage-prepaid vote-by-mail application in September. Applications must be received (not postmarked) by your local election office by Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m.
You can request a mail ballot:
- Online: Use the state’s online mail ballot application system. Before you can request a mail ballot, you’ll need to verify your voter registration status.
- By email/fax: Download a mail ballot application and either email or fax the completed application to your local election office. Your application must be signed or include a photocopy or scan of your signature. Voters who cannot sign the form due to a disability can use the online system, which has accommodations.
- By mail: Download, print and complete a mail ballot application or fill out the pre-addressed form you receive in the mail. Mail your completed, signed form to your local election office. It’s recommended that you apply at least two weeks before Election Day in case there are postal delays.
- In person: Hand-deliver your completed application to your local election office.
Note that if you can’t print the mail ballot application, you can submit any signed request — including a handwritten letter — to your local election office to apply.
Returning a mail ballot
Return your ballot:
- By mail: Mail your completed ballot to your local election office. It must be postmarked by Election Day and received by Friday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m.
- In person: Hand-deliver your completed mail-in ballot to your local election office. You also can drop off your ballot at an early voting site from Saturday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Nov. 1. Or return your ballot to a secure ballot drop box. Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Note that you can’t drop your ballot at a polling place on Election Day.
Use the Track My Ballot tool to check the status of your ballot.
If you’ve applied for a mail ballot but have not returned it, you can choose to vote in person instead.
Voting absentee
If you’re living overseas, are an active-duty military member, are incarcerated without a felony conviction, or are hospitalized within seven days of the election, you should request an absentee ballot instead of a mail ballot. Find more information, including an absentee ballot application, at the secretary of the commonwealth’s website.
Voting in person before Election Day
Every registered voter can cast a ballot in person from Saturday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Nov. 1. Visit your local election office or another early voting site, which are listed at the secretary of the commonwealth’s website at least a week before early voting begins. Hours and dates may vary by location.
Voting at the polls on Election Day
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you were in line before 8 p.m., you’ll be allowed to vote. Find your polling place at the state’s voter portal.
Sample ballots will become available at the state’s voter portal.
Voter ID requirements on Election Day
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 acceptable form of ID, such as your driver’s license, state-issued ID or a recent utility bill. Otherwise, identification is not required to vote.
Voting with a disability
Each polling place has accessible parking, ramps and at least one accessible voting machine. Voters who need assistance filling in their ballot can receive help from either an election official or someone they choose, as long as that person is not an employer or union official.
More information on accessibility is available at the secretary of the commonwealth’s website, or you can call the state’s election division at 800-462-8683 (toll-free) or 617-727-2828.
Voting from a nursing home or long-term care facility
If a long-term care facility is designated for supervised absentee voting, voters do not have the option of voting by mail and instead must complete absentee ballots in their facility with assistance from a voting registrar. If a long-term care facility is not designated for supervised absentee voting, voters can vote however they wish.
Residents in long-term care facilities may choose to register to vote in the county where their facility is, or remain registered in the county where their last home was, even if they no longer own that home. If a voter does not register in the county where their facility is, they must send their mail-ballot application to the appropriate election office for the address where they are registered.
Editor’s note: This guide was originally published on Jan. 25, 2024, and has been updated with new information.
Elissa Chudwin covers federal and state policy and writes the podcast Today’s Tips from AARP. She previously worked as a digital producer for The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, California, and an editor for the Advocate magazines in Dallas.
Emily Paulin is a reporter for AARP covering nursing homes, health care and federal and state policy. Her work has also appeared in Broadsheet, an Australian lifestyle publication.
