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:

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

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

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:

“
  • You are voting for the first time in Massachusetts in a federal election;
  • You are an inactive voter;
  • You are casting a provisional or challenged ballot;
  • The poll worker has a reasonable suspicion that leads them to request identification.[3][4]
 ”

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.

Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.[5]


Local election officials

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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

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

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 agencies

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See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Massachusetts can contact the following state and federal agencies.

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth

Secretary of the Commonwealth
One Ashburton Place, Room 1705
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
Telephone: 1-800-462-VOTE (8683)
Fax: 617-742-3238
Website: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/
Email: elections@sec.state.ma.us

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Website: https://www.eac.gov/

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See also

Elections in Massachusetts


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 13, 2023
  2. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "The Voting Process," accessed April 13, 2023
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Identification Requirements," accessed April 13, 2023
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voting by Mail," accessed July 18, 2022
  6. ↑ Massachusetts Law Updates, "Can Felons Vote in Massachusetts?" accessed April 13, 2023
  7. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," April 6, 2023
  8. ↑ BillTrack50, "MA S2924," accessed July 18, 2022
  9. ↑ Democracy Docket, "Massachusetts Supreme Court Upholds VOTES Act," July 11, 2022
  10. ↑ The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Bill S.2924," accessed January 10, 2023
  11. ↑ The Hill, "Mass. governor signs automatic voter registration bill into law," August 9, 2018
  12. ↑ General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Bill H.4834," accessed August 15, 2018
  13. ↑ The Boston Globe, "Judge rules state’s voter registration deadline is unconstitutional," July 24, 2017
  14. ↑ Suffolk County Superior Court, "Chelsea Collaborative et al. v. Galvin et al.," July 24, 2017
  15. ↑ Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court of Massachusetts, "Chelsea Collaborative, Inc. and others v. William F. Galvin," accessed February 5, 2018
  16. ↑ Reuters, "Massachusetts top court upholds 20-day voter registration cut-off," July 2, 2018
  17. ↑ ThinkProgress, "Massachusetts on Cusp of Passing Major Voting Rights Expansion," January 17, 2014
  18. ↑ MassLive.com, "Massachusetts Senate approves early voting bill," January 16, 2014
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