Make a Plan to Make Your Vote Count
While COVID-19 has meant we have had to forgo many of the activities that we normally participate in, voting shouldn’t be one of them. More than ever this election season, it is important to plan ahead for how you and your household plan to vote. For residents of Massachusetts, there are two options to make your voice heard this fall, registered voters have the option to vote-by-mail or in-person during early voting in October or on Election Day on Tuesday November 3. This newsletter will be your one-stop shop for all the information and resources you need to make a plan that works for you and your household to vote. Further, this reflects several other important reminders that Dr. Laurie Glimcher, President and CEO of Dana-Farber, has shared with staff over the last two months.
It is critically important to remember that with all the different options to vote in Massachusetts, you should vote once, and only vote once this fall. If you have any questions about voting in Massachusetts, please contact the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office at 1-800-462-VOTE (8683). In addition, in Massachusetts, voting rights are protected. These rights are guaranteed to qualified registered voters. To learn more click here.
Please share this important information widely with your friends, family and professional networks in Massachusetts so that everyone has this important information in advance of the 2020 election.
General Information for Massachusetts Voters
Residents of Massachusetts, can register to vote, find to find a polling location, check or update voter registration status and even view your ballot in advance at: www.wheredoivotema.com. If you have not received your “Red Book”, the Massachusetts Guide for Voters, that booklet that explains all the voting options along with information on ballot questions that can be found here.
Voter Registration
If you need to register to vote or update your voter registration, you can use the Massachusetts online voter registration system. If you cannot register online, you may still register without leaving your home by sending a mail-in voter registration form to your local election office. If you need to register to vote in person, contact your local election official about their availability to assist with a in person registration. The deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration is ten days prior to the scheduled election day or October 24.
In-Person Voting
For those looking at options to vote in-person and vote early, if you are registered to vote in the City of Boston, there is an option to vote early at Fenway Park on October 17 and 18. No matter how you plan to vote, the time is now to make a plan on how you will make your voice heard.
If you choose to vote in-person, extra safety precautions will be taken at polling locations including the required use of a face covering and practicing social distancing. Hand sanitizer will also be available and surfaces at the polling location will be regularly cleaned and disinfected. No matter how you choose to vote, here are some important dates for Massachusetts voters to keep in mind.
- October 17: Early in-person voting begins*
- October 30: Early in-person voting ends*
- November 3: Election Day
Please note, early in-person voting dates and times vary by city and town in Massachusetts, so check with your local election department for more information.
Vote By-Mail
If you completed a vote-by-mail application for the September 1, Massachusetts primary election and the November 3 general election, your ballot will be mailed to you. If you did not previously apply to vote-by-mail, applications are available for download and may also be requested by contacting the MA Secretary of State, Elections Division. Below is a list of deadlines for Massachusetts voters who wish to vote-by-mail, to keep in mind.
- Vote-by-mail applications should be completed and mailed as soon as possible, but no later than October 20
- A vote-by-mail ballot cannot be mailed to a voter if the application reaches your local election office after 5:00pm on October 28
- Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked by November 3 and received in your local election office by November 6 in order to be counted
- Ballots that arrive prior to 8 p.m. on November 3 do not require a postmark
- Please note, the Massachusetts vote by mail option is temporary and in response to COVID-19 and will expire on December 31 of this year
To learn more about how voting-by-mail will work this year in Massachusetts, you can find additional information on the state’s Voting-by-Mail FAQs page. Once you have mailed or dropped off your ballot in Massachusetts you can track your ballot by clicking here.
If you live in the City of Boston and plan to return your ballot in person instead of mailing it, the City of Boston has 17 drop boxes available around the City. You have until 8 pm on Election Day, Tuesday November 3, to drop off your ballot. You can also drop off your ballot at any early voting location during the City's early voting period. If you reside outside of the City of Boston, check with local city or town clerk for more information on the availability of drop boxes.
Emergency Absentee Ballots
In Massachusetts, registered voters who are admitted to an inpatient healthcare facility or who are instructed to quarantine at home within one week of the election may use the absentee ballot application to designate someone of their choice to deliver a ballot for them.
The designee who delivers the ballot will need to bring the signed application to the local election office, pick up the absentee ballot, bring it to the registered voter and return the ballot for the voter by the close of polls, 8pm Election Day, Tuesday November 3. Emergency ballots may be requested up until the close of polls. Absentee ballot application forms are available for download here in various different languages.
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