Deadline To Request MA Mail-In Ballot For Nov. 8 Arrives

MASSACHUSETTS — A key deadline for voters ahead of the Nov. 8 is here: the deadline to request a mail-in ballot arrives Tuesday.

State lawmakers over the summer expanded the vote-by-mail system put in place during the beginning of the pandemic. Any registered voter can request a ballot by mail as an alternative to going to the polls.

If you didn't already receive a ballot, you can request one from your local town or city clerk, or online through the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Nov. 1.

If you're voting by mail, you can return the ballot by dropping it in a U.S. Postal Service box. You can also drop your ballot off at the local clerk's office, at any early voting location and at any ballot drop box. You can't return mail-in ballots at the polls on Election Day, however.

(Some cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Boston, are locking ballot boxes on Halloween night to prevent tampering.)

Following the vote-by-mail deadline, early voting in Massachusetts will conclude this week on Nov. 4.