Election and Voting Guide

You can vote in United States elections if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Meet your state’s residency requirements. You can be homeless and still meet these requirements.
• Are 18 years old on or before Election Day. In most states, you can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day. See a table of voter registration age requirements by state.
• Are registered to vote by your state’s voter registration deadline.

Who cannot vote?

• Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents
• Some people with felony convictions. Rules vary by state.
• Some people who are mentally incapacitated. Rules vary by state.
• For president in the general election: U.S. citizens residing in U.S. territories

Some states place voting restrictions on people convicted of felonies and people with mental disabilities. 

You must register in order to vote.  Click to check your voter registration

To register and vote, you do not have to be affiliated with a political party, though party affiliation may affect whether you can vote in primary elections. 

Student Voting

Students attending college may choose to register at their college address or at their home address. You must vote in the area where you are registered, or you must obtain an absentee or a vote-by-mail ballot.

For more information for students on voting see Campus Votes Project 

Registering to vote in Massachusetts allows for three ways to register:

1. Online - Click here to register 

Note: A valid Massachusetts Driver's License or State ID is required to register online

2. By Mail - see Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth webpage
3. In-person - see Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth webpage

Registering in other states – check your state’s specific registration process and requirements

Pay attention to registration deadlines. In Massachusetts, you must be registered twenty (20) days before a scheduled election. 

Voting in person

When you vote in person, be prepared to greet poll workers and give them your name, address, and your signature. Pens, pencils, and other voting tools will be provided to you along with voting instructions.

You will not be asked for ID unless:

• You are a first-time or an inactive voter
• You're casting an provisional or challenged ballot (unusual)
• Poll workers have a reasonable suspicion that leads them to ask for ID (unusual).

Voting by Mail

As of July 2020, Massachusetts residents are entitled to vote by mail. To apply for a mail-in ballot, visit the Commonwealth's webpage. 

Absentee Ballot Voting

If you are unable to vote form your registered address due to temporarily living in another location, you are entitled to obtain and mail an absentee ballot if you're unable to vote from your registered address.

You must apply for and get an absentee ballot before an election and mail it in. Note that the process and requirements to obtain an absentee ballot varies from state to state. Check the different requirements for the state where you are registered to vote. 

• Vote.org

  With a mission to use technology to simplify political engagement, increase voter turnout, and strengthen American democracy, vote.org allows you to check your registration status, register, request an absentee ballot, find your polling place, and had links to election centers in all 50 Sates and the District of Columbia. Requires giving your personal info to a 3rd party.

• Vote411

  Vote411 is run by the League of Women Voters. By entering your home address on VOTE411.org, you can see the ballot questions you will be voting on, compare candidate responses to League questions and more.

• TurboVote

  TurboVote is a nonprofit organization aiming to make voting easy. Register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and get reminders to vote. Requires giving personal info to a 3rd party.

• Better Know a Ballot

  A serious site (with some humor!) with links to official voter registration and voting info for each state.
  It doesn't seem to require giving your personal info to a 3rd party.