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Free public service for Massachusetts votersNo candidate endorsementsGuide sources checked October 1, 2026General election November 3, 2026

Official voter resources

Make your Massachusetts voting plan

Use Massachusetts' official voter services to register, find your polling place, vote early, request or track a mail ballot, and review all nine binding statewide questions.

First steps

Start with these three actions

Step 2

Vote early in person

In-person early voting runs October 17 through October 30. Local schedules and locations vary by city or town.

Step 3

Request and return a mail ballot

A vote-by-mail application must reach the local election office by 5 p.m. October 27. Hand-delivered and drop-box ballots are due by 8 p.m. November 3. A mailed ballot postmarked by November 3 may arrive by 5 p.m. November 6.

October 24voter registration deadline
October 17-30in-person early voting period
5 p.m. October 27vote-by-mail application deadline
November 3Election Day and mail postmark deadline
Dated checklist

Election timeline

  1. In-person early voting begins

    Every city and town must provide early voting during the statewide period. Check the local schedule before going.

  2. Voter registration deadline

    Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Mail forms must be postmarked by this date, and in-person registration closes at 5 p.m.

  3. Vote-by-mail application deadline

    The completed application must reach the local election office by the deadline. A postmark is not enough.

  4. In-person early voting ends

    Local hours vary. Confirm the final available time with the city or town.

  5. State Election Day and hand-return deadline

    Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Hand-delivered and drop-box ballots must arrive by 8 p.m. A mail ballot must be postmarked by this date to use the later receipt window.

  6. Mailed ballot receipt deadline

    A ballot mailed on or before Election Day and supported by a legible postmark may be accepted through 5 p.m. on the third day after the election.

Check the current rule: Ballots cannot be dropped at an Election Day polling place. A hand-delivered ballot or ballot placed in a municipal drop box must reach the local election office by 8 p.m. November 3. Only ballots returned by mail in this biennial state election receive the November 6 grace period, and they must be mailed on or before Election Day. Check the official tracker after returning a mail ballot.
On the ballot

9 binding statewide ballot questions

The Secretary of the Commonwealth confirms Questions 1 through 9 for the November 3 ballot. Questions 1 through 8 are laws proposed by initiative petition. Question 9 is a referendum on an existing firearms law. District public-policy questions numbered 10, 11, or 12 are not statewide and are excluded.

  • Question 1: Expanding the Public Records LawA yes vote would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, with stated exemptions for policy-development and certain constituent communications.
  • Question 2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS EmployeesA yes vote would specify that Committee for Public Counsel Services employees may form a union and collectively bargain with their employer.
  • Question 3: State Primary ElectionsA yes vote would replace separate party primaries for state elections with one all-party primary in which the top two candidates advance to the general election.
  • Question 4: Election Day RegistrationA yes vote would allow eligible citizens to register or update their registration address at their polling place on Election Day, with the law taking effect January 1, 2028.
  • Question 5: State Revenue Limit and RebateA yes vote would tie the annual state revenue limit to prior-year collections plus average wage and salary growth and would rebate revenue collected above that limit.
  • Question 6: Natural Resource Conservation FundA yes vote would create the Nature for All Fund, subject to legislative appropriation, using specified sales and use tax revenue for natural resource conservation.
  • Question 7: Single Family HomesA yes vote would allow single-family homes on qualifying residential lots of at least 5,000 square feet with at least 50 feet of frontage and public sewer and water access, subject to reasonable local regulation.
  • Question 8: Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use MarijuanaA yes vote would repeal laws legalizing, regulating, and taxing retail adult recreational marijuana and would change marijuana possession limits and penalties.
  • Question 9: Firearms RegulationA yes vote would keep the 2024 firearms law in place, including added regulation of ghost guns, machine guns, and assault-style weapons. A no vote would repeal the law.
View official ballot-measure information
Judicial retention

0 statewide judicial election items

Massachusetts judges are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the elected Governor's Council and may serve until the mandatory retirement age of 70. They do not face statewide election or retention questions. Governor's Council contests are elected by district and are outside this statewide guide.

Read the official Massachusetts court-process overview
Official instructions

Use the 2026 Information for Voters publication

The Secretary of the Commonwealth provides accessible and printable versions covering all nine statewide questions, voting options, registration, early voting, and vote by mail.

Open the 2026 Information for Voters page
Official starting points

Official voter links

Upcoming ElectionsOfficial November 3 election, registration, vote-by-mail application, early voting, and polling-hour summary.Registering to VoteOfficial registration eligibility, routes, and deadline rules.How to Vote EarlyOfficial October 17 through October 30 early voting period and local-schedule guidance.Voting by MailOfficial application, return, grace-period, and in-person voting guidance.Track My BallotOfficial 2026 mail-ballot status lookup.When, Where, How Do I Vote?Official polling-place and statewide polling-hour guidance.How Ballots are CountedOfficial explanation of the three-day mailed-ballot receipt window.General Laws Chapter 54, Section 25BOfficial statutory 5 p.m. third-day receipt rule for qualifying mailed biennial state-election ballots.2026 State Election Ballot QuestionsOfficial text and vote effects for all nine binding statewide questions.

Dates checked October 1, 2026. Confirm them at the linked official source.