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 election agencies.
- Summaries of noteworthy policy-related events.
See Election administration in Massachusetts for more additional information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.
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
The table below displays voter registration information specific to Massachusetts' 2024 election cycle.
Eligibility and registration details
- 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
The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Massachusetts' 2024 election cycle.
Poll times
- 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
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Massachusetts does not require voters to present identification (ID) while voting, in most cases.[3]
However, voters will be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:
| “ | ” |
The following list of accepted ID was current as of November 2022. Click here for the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
| “ | Acceptable identification must include your name and the address at which you are registered to vote. Examples of acceptable identification include: a driver's license, state-issued ID card, recent utility bill, rent receipt, lease, a copy of a voter registration affidavit, or any other printed identification which contains the voter's name and address.[4] | ” |
Early voting
- 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 ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in voting
The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Massachusetts' 2024 election cycle.
Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.[5]
Local election officials
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
In Massachusetts, people convicted of a felony automatically regain their voting rights upon completion of their incarceration.[6]
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.[7]
Noteworthy events
2022
Massachusetts establishes no-excuse absentee/mail-in voting, in-person early voting
On June 22, 2022, Gov. Charlie Baker (R) signed Senate Bill 2924, also known as the VOTES Act, into law, making a number of changes to the state's election laws, including the following:[8]
- Allowing all voters to cast absentee/mail-in ballots;
- Establishing in-person early voting for two weeks before state general elections and one week before presidential and state primary elections; and
- Moving the voter registration deadline from 20 days before Election Day to 10 days before Election Day.
Absentee/mail-in voting, in-person, and early voting upheld by state supreme court
The Massachusetts GOP Chair filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin (D) about SB 2924, saying that it violated a provision in the state's constitution that only allowed voters to vote by mail if they were out of town, physically disabled, or had religious-based conflicts. The lawsuit also argued that absentee ballots accessed for other reasons were more susceptible to fraud. The plaintiffs requested that the court prevent the implementation of the VOTES Act.[9]
On July 11, 2022, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that SB 2924 was not in violation of the Massachusetts Constitution, which resulted in the law being upheld.[10]
2018
Massachusetts adopts automatic voter registration legislation
On August 9, 2018, Governor Charles D. Baker (R) signed H. 4834, a bill providing for automatic voter registration, into law. The bill cleared the state Senate on July 30, 2018, by a vote of 36 to 0. The House approved the bill by a vote of 134 to 16 on July 27, 2018. The bill mandated that eligible citizens be automatically registered to vote whenever they conduct transactions at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles or through the state Medicaid program. The bill's provisions were set to take effect on January 1, 2020. Massachusetts became the 14th state to enact automatic voter registration.[11][12]
Voter registration deadline upheld by state supreme court
On July 2, 2018, the state supreme court voted 7 to 0 to reverse a lower state court ruling striking down Massachusetts' 20-day voter registration deadline, upholding the constitutionality of that deadline. On July 24, 2017, Judge Douglas Wilkins of the Suffolk County Superior Court ruled that Massachusetts' voter registration deadline, occurring 20 days prior to Election Day, violated the state constitution. Galvin appealed the ruling to the state supreme court, which scheduled oral argument in the case to take place on March 6, 2018.[13][14][15][16]
2014
On May 22, 2014, Governor Deval Patrick (D) signed into law a bill that overhauled the state's voting laws. The legislation allowed for no-excuse early voting to take place beginning 11 days before an election. The legislation also established an online voter registration system. The law took effect in 2016.[17][18]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Massachusetts can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Massachusetts Town Clerks
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
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
The Ballot Bulletin
The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.
Recent issues
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- The Ballot Bulletin: July 19, 2024
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Ballotpedia's election coverage
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2024
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- Republican Party Attorney General primaries, 2024
- State legislative Republican primaries, 2024
See also
- 2024 election dates and deadlines
- Voter ID in Massachusetts
- Election administration in Massachusetts
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Massachusetts
Elections in Massachusetts
- 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
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "The Voting Process," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Identification Requirements," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voting by Mail," accessed July 18, 2022
- ↑ Massachusetts Law Updates, "Can Felons Vote in Massachusetts?" accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
- ↑ BillTrack50, "MA S2924," accessed July 18, 2022
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "Massachusetts Supreme Court Upholds VOTES Act," July 11, 2022
- ↑ The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Bill S.2924," accessed January 10, 2023
- ↑ The Hill, "Mass. governor signs automatic voter registration bill into law," August 9, 2018
- ↑ General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Bill H.4834," accessed August 15, 2018
- ↑ The Boston Globe, "Judge rules state’s voter registration deadline is unconstitutional," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Suffolk County Superior Court, "Chelsea Collaborative et al. v. Galvin et al.," July 24, 2017
- ↑ Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court of Massachusetts, "Chelsea Collaborative, Inc. and others v. William F. Galvin," accessed February 5, 2018
- ↑ Reuters, "Massachusetts top court upholds 20-day voter registration cut-off," July 2, 2018
- ↑ ThinkProgress, "Massachusetts on Cusp of Passing Major Voting Rights Expansion," January 17, 2014
- ↑ MassLive.com, "Massachusetts Senate approves early voting bill," January 16, 2014
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