MASSACHUSETTS

Voter Registration Deadline: 10 days before Election Day.

2024 Election Information

Presidential Primary: March 5, 2024

• Voter Registration Deadline: February 24

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: February 27

State Primaries: September 3, 2024

• Voter Registration Deadline: August 24

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: August 26

General Election: November 5, 2024

• Voter Registration Deadline: October 25

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: October 29

For additional information on upcoming state special and local elections, please visit: sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/recent-updates/upcoming-elections.htm

Eligible voters can also register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time at their assigned voting location on Election Day. More information on same-day registration is available at: https://elections.wi.gov/Register?ref=voteusa_en

2024 Election Information

Spring Primary: February 20

• Voter Registration Deadline: January 31 (by mail or online), February 16 (at municipal clerk’s office)
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: February 15

Spring Election and Presidential Preference Primary: April 2

• Voter Registration Deadline: March 13 (by mail or online), March 29 (at municipal clerk’s office)
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: March 28

General Election: November 5

• Voter Registration Deadline: October 16 (by mail or online), November 1 (at municipal clerk’s office)
• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: October 31

More election information at:

sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/elections-and-voting.htm

Online voter registration available at:

sec.state.ma.us/ovr/

Mail-in PDF voter registration available at:

sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/languages/register-by-mail-forms.htm

Students have a decision about where to register to vote.

You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family’s home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.

You may only be registered and vote in one location.

Online Voter Registration: To complete your voter registration online, you must have a Massachusetts-issued driver’s license or ID number. If you do not have an ID issued by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you must register by mail or in person.

Paper Voter Registration: Massachusetts’ mail-in voter registration form asks for your Massachusetts driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.

Make a plan. Look up your voting site and hours at:

wheredoivotema.com/

By Mail: Massachusetts allows any registered voter to request a Vote by Mail Ballot for most elections. To apply, you may submit a signed application to your local election office onlineor by mail, email, or fax.

• Mail-in Ballot Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the 5th business day prior to Election Day; however, apply as soon as possible to allow enough time to receive, complete, and return your ballot. You may access the online application or a pdf paper application to be submitted by mail, email, or fax through the below links.

• Completed Mail-in Ballot Return Deadline: Your ballot must be received by your local election office by the close of polls on Election Day. Ballots may be returned by mail, by hand to your local election office or early voting site, or by returning it to a ballot drop box. Please note that Vote by Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day. You must use one of the above-described return methods.

Use the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Track My Ballot tool to check the status of your ballot, including the date it was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.

Absentee Voting: Although Vote by Mail ballots are more common and may be used by any voter, there are some instances where a smaller number of qualified voters may vote by absentee ballot instead. All registration and ballot return deadlines are the same for absentee ballots as they are for Vote by Mail ballots. Please refer to those rules outlined in the Mail-in section above.

You are eligible to vote by absentee ballot if:

• You will be away from your city or town on Election Day, including voters who are on active military duty, living outside the U.S., incarcerated for a reason other than a felony conviction, attending institutions of higher education, among others;

• You have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling location on Election Day;

• You have a disability that prevents you from voting at your polling location.

Election Day: Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for statewide elections, but some municipalities may open their polling places earlier. Contact your local clerk to verify polling hours. If you are in line by the time polls close, you have a right to vote.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Federal Financial Aid?

Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA.

Does Registering to Vote Affect my Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes?

Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes.

Does Registering to Vote impact my Tuition Status?

Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community.

Will registering to vote in Massachusetts affect my driver’s license or car registration?

As a full-time student in Massachusetts, you may be required to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and update your car’s registration, regardless of whether you register to vote there. For more information, contact the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.