The Massachusetts state primary is set for Tuesday, Sept. 1. But with vote-by-mail and early in-person voting, it’s best we think of the election as a season rather than a single “Election Day.”
While the political officials who represent the entire state — like U.S. senator and governor — may get the most attention in this year’s elections, there’s a slew of other important races down the ballot.
So, take a break from your summer reading, check if you’re registered to vote and make a plan for how to cast your ballot. Then dig into the candidates you’ll pick between.
In this guide, we’ll break down all the dates you need to keep in mind and tell you what offices are up for election.
We’ll be back with more for the general election, which will include a whopping nine ballot questions.
Are you registered to vote? Are you sure?
To vote in the Massachusetts primary, you have to be registered by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 22. If you’re uncertain, check your voter registration status here.
If you want to change your party before the primary, you’ll also need to do that by Aug. 22. (Reminder: Unenrolled voters — what many people think of as “independents” — in Massachusetts can choose to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primaries. But if you’re a member of either major political party, you can only vote in that primary unless you make a switch to unenrolled or the other party by the registration deadline.)
You can register online, by mail or in person. If you’re registering to vote here for the first time, Massachusetts election law allows poll workers to sometimes request you show identification before you can vote. Click here for more instructions on this and registering to vote.
Vote by mail
Any Massachusetts voter can choose to vote by mail. The pandemic-era accommodation became law in 2022.
Voting by mail is a two-step process. First, make sure your application to vote by mail is received by Aug. 25, but you’ll want to apply for a ballot as early as possible. Then, you’ll receive a ballot in the mail. You’ll need to make sure your completed ballot reaches your local election office or official drop box by Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. (the close of polls on Election Day). For the primary, there is no grace period for ballots postmarked on Sept. 1.
How to apply for your mail-in ballot
Check your mailbox. State officials sent out paper vote-by-mail ballot applications to all registered votes in July. Fill it out, and mail it back. The application needs to reach your local election office about a week before Election Day, but it’s a good idea to do this as early as possible to allow for any mail delays.
You could also apply online (here) or email/fax your application to your local election office. Click here to find the appropriate office to send it to.
How to cast your mail-in ballot
Fill our your ballot, and don’t forget to sign it.
Then you can mail it, bring it to your local election office or your municipality’s early voting locations, or place it inside an official ballot drop box. Check here for locations of local election offices and ballot drop boxes. Ballots must reach a drop box or your local election office by 8 p.m. on Sept. 1 (Election Day).
Want to make sure your vote arrived safely? Use the state’s Track My Ballot tool to ensure your ballot was accepted. If there was an issue, you can still vote at your polling location on Election Day. (Don’t worry: Your vote only counts once, even if your mail-in ballot reaches your local election office after you vote in person. The duplicate ballot will get rejected.)
One thing to keep in mind: Do not bring a mail-in ballot to your polling location on Election Day. If you still have your ballot sitting on your coffee table on Sept. 1, you could bring it to an official drop box, or change your plan and cast your vote in person the old school way.
Vote early, in person
If you’re someone who wants to vote in person, there’s no need to wait for Election Day if you’ve already made up your mind. Voters can cast ballots in person Aug. 22 to 28 during the state’s early voting period.
Every town and city has their own hours and locations, so check your local election office for details. (State officials say early voting schedules for every city and town will be posted on this website by mid-August.) You can vote at any early voting location within your municipality.
Vote on Election Day
The official Election Day for the state primary is Sept. 1. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Click here to find your local polling location.
Massachusetts’ reputation as a blue state comes starkly into focus as you compare the state’s Democratic primary to the Republican primary. On the state’s list of offices up for election, “no nomination” appears 183 times for Republicans, and 17 times for Democrats. The vast majority of seats up for election, particularly in the State House, are uncompetitive.
- U.S. senator: Seth Moulton, currently representing the state’s 6th Congressional District, is challenging incumbent Sen. Ed Markey on the Democrats’ ballot. Attorney John Deaton, who is running unopposed on the Republican ballot, will face the winner in the general election.
- U.S. representative: Reps. Richard Neal, Jake Auchincloss, Katherine Clark, Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating are all facing challengers. The 6th District is an open primary as Moulton runs for Senate. All held by Democrats currently, it’s unlikely these seats will flip. The Republicans have no competitive primaries: the ballot has one candidate each nominated for the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th districts.
- The state’s executive branch — governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor: The six Democrats holding these offices are all running for reelection unopposed in their primary. On the Republican side, there are two candidates for governor: Michael Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve.
- Governor’s councilor: Districts 3, 4, 6 and 8 feature contested Democratic primaries. See candidates here. There are no contested Republican races.
- State senator: There are only a handful of seats that have competitive races in the Democratic primary. Two incumbents in particular have races that are heating up: the Belmont-Boston-Watertown district represented by state Sen. William Brownsberger, and the Dorchester-South Boston-South End district represented by state Sen. Nick Collins. There is also one on the Republican ballot (1st Bristol & Plymouth District) between Gabriel Boomer Amaral, of Fall River, and Manny Silva, of Somerset. See the full list here: Democratic ballot, Republican ballot. To see who is on your specific primary ballot, enter your residential info here.
- State representative: Most incumbents are running unopposed, but there are nine open seats that offer matchups. To see who is on your specific primary ballot, enter your residential info here.
- District attorney: There are a few interesting Democratic primaries in the races to be a county’s top prosecutor. The showdown contests are on the Cape and Islands, in Norfolk County, Middlesex County and Suffolk County. The Norfolk seat opened up after District Attorney Michael Morrissey said he won’t seek reelection following criticism over his office’s handling of some high-profile cases, including Karen Read’s trial. In Suffolk County, former district attorney and U.S. attorney Rachael Rollins is running again — challenging incumbent Kevin Hayden — after she stepped down from the federal role three years ago amid ethics allegations. Attorney Linda Champion is also running in that DA contest.
- Register of probate: Serving a six-year term, this official, maintains land records in your county. There are no competitive primaries; see who is on your ballot here.
- County treasurer: This official maintains court proceedings and serves a six-year term. There are no competitive primaries; see who is on your ballot here.
- County commissioner: This role manages county-wide services and helps maintain courthouses and other infrastructure. See who is on your ballot here.
- Sheriff (special): Franklin County needs to fill a vacancy. There is only one nomination: Democrat Lori Streeter.
