How to vote · 2026
Massachusetts
Any voter can request a mail ballot
Every date below comes from the Massachusetts election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 24, 2026Register online, in person, or by mail (postmarked) by Oct. 24, 2026 (10 days before). No same-day registration.
Mail-ballot request deadlineOctober 27, 2026
Mail ballots first sentAbout October 4, 2026Vote-by-mail ballots must be ready about 30 days out (Oct. 4, 2026) and are mailed as applications are processed; the state mails applications to all registered voters. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Oct. 27 (5th business day before).
Return rulePostmarked by Election Day and received by 5 p.m. Nov. 6, 2026
Early in-person votingOctober 17, 2026through October 30, 2026 · In-person early voting Oct. 17-30, 2026, including two weekends; hours and sites vary by municipality.
Official MA election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[2] Mail voting Oct. 4-Nov. 6, 2026 (start reflects when ballots must be ready)[3] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[4] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[5] NCSL Table 5: statutory absentee ballot application deadline[6] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
On the ballot
Tracked Massachusetts races
Every state
Compare Massachusetts with the rest of the country.
The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
Back to Ballot Watch →