Voting In Massachusetts

Election Information
2025 election and voting dates
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Massachusetts:

• Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
• In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
• Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
• Details about voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
• Contact information for election agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration[edit]

Eligibility and registration details[edit]

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Massachusetts, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Massachusetts, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day.^[1]

The deadline for registration is 10 days prior to the election. A voter can register online, by mail, or in person at any registration office or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. A form of identification is required to register. The following are acceptable forms of identification:^[1]

• Valid driver's license
• State-issued identification card
• Current utility bill
• Bank statement
• Paystub
• Government-issued check
• Any other government document displaying the voter's name and address

In-person voting[edit]

Poll times[edit]

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Massachusetts, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, municipalities may open their polls as early as 5:45 a.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.^[2]

Voter identification[edit]

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Massachusetts does not require voters to present identification (ID) while voting, in most cases.^[3]

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.^[4]

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.

Voters will also be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025:

• A driver's license
• A state ID card
• A recent utility bill
• A rent receipt or lease.
• A copy of a voter registration affidavit
• A letter from a school dormitory or housing office
• Any other printed identification which contains your name and address

Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

Early voting[edit]

See also: Early voting

Massachusetts permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.^[6]

Local election officials[edit]

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

In Massachusetts, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their incarceration.^[7]

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[8]

Election administration agencies[edit]

Election agencies[edit]

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Massachusetts can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Massachusetts Town Clerks

Click here for a list

Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division

One Ashburton Place, Room 1705

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Phone: 617-727-2828

Toll free: 1-800-462-8683

Fax: 617-742-3238

Email: elections@sec.state.ma.us

Website: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/

State Ethics Commission

One Ashburton Place, Room 619

Boston, Massachusetts 02108

Phone: 617-371-9500

Fax: 617-723-5851

Website: https://www.mass.gov/orgs/state-ethics-commission

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website: https://www.eac.gov

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See also[edit]

• State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
• Voter ID in Massachusetts
• Election administration in Massachusetts
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Massachusetts

Elections in Massachusetts[edit]

• Massachusetts elections, 2025
• Massachusetts elections, 2024
• Massachusetts elections, 2023
• Massachusetts elections, 2022
• Massachusetts elections, 2021
• Massachusetts elections, 2020
• Massachusetts elections, 2019
• Massachusetts elections, 2018
• Massachusetts elections, 2017
• Massachusetts elections, 2016
• Massachusetts elections, 2015
• Massachusetts elections, 2014

External links[edit]

• Official state election website
• U.S. Vote Foundation election official lookup tool

Footnotes[edit]

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