Voting in Massachusetts
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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. An individual also cannot be currently incarcerated due to a felony.[1]
The deadline for registration is 10 days prior to the election. A voter can register online, by mail, or in person. In-person registration occurs at the local office of town clerks, the election commission, or the board of registrars, as well as the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth Elections Division and the agency's regional offices. Pre-registration is available for individuals 16 years and older who meet all other requirements.[1]
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. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[2][3]
Voter identification[edit]
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Massachusetts does not require voters to present identification (ID) while voting, in most cases.[4]
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.[5]
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:
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The following list of accepted ID was current as of December 2025. Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
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Early voting[edit]
- See also: Early voting
Massachusetts permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before 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. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting[edit]
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by-mail in Massachusetts. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by-mail.[7]
Voters can request an absentee/mail-in ballot online, by mail, or by email or fax. Massachusetts sends an absentee/mail-in ballot application to all registered voters before statewide elections.[7] Applications must reach local election officials by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day before the election. Returned ballots must reach local election officials by the close of polls on Election Day to be counted. Returned absentee/mail-in ballots during the biennial state election in November can be received by local election officials up to three days after the election, provided they were postmarked by Election Day.[7]
Local election officials[edit]
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. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony[edit]
In Massachusetts, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their incarceration.[8]
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.[9]
Contact information[edit]
Election agencies[edit]
- 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
Secretary of the Commonwealth, Elections Division
- 1 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
- 1 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
Explore election legislation with Ballotpedia[edit]
Try Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation TrackerBallotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker provides daily updates on legislative activity related to election policy in all 50 states.
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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]
External links[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Polling Hours," accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ Town of Natick, "What hours are the polls open on Election day?" accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Identification Requirements," accessed December 6, 2025
- ↑ Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voting by Mail," accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Justice, "Guide to State Voting Rules That Apply After a Criminal Conviction," accessed December 8, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," August 19, 2025
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