Voting by mail

In most elections in Massachusetts, you can choose whether you prefer to vote in person or by mail.

No-excuse early voting by mail is available for state elections, state primaries, presidential primaries, and most local elections.

These ballots are known as “Vote by Mail” ballots and can be requested using a Vote by Mail Application available at www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/vote-by-mail-applications.htm. 

While early Vote by Mail ballots are more common, there are special circumstances where you may need to use the Absentee Ballot application to apply for an absentee ballot instead. For more information about absentee ballot eligibility, visit www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/voting-information/absentee-voting.htm

Applying for your ballot

You can request your Vote by Mail ballot online, by mail or by email/fax. 

Application Deadlines

Your mail-in ballot must reach your local election officials by 5 p.m. on the 5th business day before the election. No matter when the application is postmarked, your application must be at the local election office by the deadline.

2024 Application Deadlines:

Sept. 3 State Primaries: 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 26

Nov. 5 State Election: 5 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29

Apply as early as possible, especially if your ballot will need to be mailed out of town. The Postal Service recommends allowing up to 7 days for mail delivery.

To ensure that you receive your ballot with enough time to mail it back, you should apply 2-3 weeks before Election Day. 

Returning your Ballot

There are several options for returning your ballot. You may return your ballot by:

Mailing it back using the envelope provided

Hand-delivering your ballot to your local election office

Dropping your ballot off at an early voting location during early voting hours

Using a ballot drop box.

Note, ballots CANNOT be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day.

Your ballot must reach your local election office or drop box by close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted. The only exception is for ballots returned by mail in the biennial state election in November, when 3 extra days are allowed for ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive in the mail.

You can use the Track My Ballot tool awww.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/TrackMyBallot to check the status of your ballot. The tracker will show you the date your ballot was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.

2024 ballot return deadlines

Sept. 3rd Presidential Primaries: 8 p.m., Sept. 3, 2024

Nov. 5th State Election

If returned in person or by drop box: 8 p.m., Nov. 5, 2024

If returned by domestic mail: by 5 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2024 (must be postmarked by Election Day)

If returned by mail from outside the United States: 5 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2024 (must be postmarked by Election Day)

Voting in person

You can still vote in person if:

You applied to vote by mail, but never returned your ballot

You mailed your ballot back, but it hasn’t reached your local election office

Your ballot was received by your local election office, but it was rejected

If any of the above is true, you can vote at an early voting location or at your polling place on Election Day. If your mail-in ballot reaches your local election office after you vote, the mail-in ballot will be rejected.

You can’t vote in person if your ballot has reached your local election office and was accepted. Once your ballot is accepted, you have voted. You can’t take your ballot back or vote again.

For more information related to voting, visit www.hopedale-ma.gov/home/news/2024-election-information 

Source: www.hopedale-ma.gov