If you will be away from your town and polling location for the November 3 election, you are eligible to request an absentee ballot! The steps to requesting, filling out, and tracking an absentee ballot are below.
- Check your registration status here. If you know where you are registered, you can skip this step.
- Fill out an Absentee Ballot Application. You can find a printable absentee ballot application here.
- The “Legal Voting Address” section should be filled out using the address at which you are registered, and the “Mail Ballot To” section should contain the address at which you wish to receive the ballot. If you’re registered to vote at home but are living on campus, you can request an absentee ballot sent to your residence hall, but you cannot request an absentee ballot if you are living at home but registered on campus.
- Mail, fax, or email a .pdf of your Absentee Ballot Application to the city/town clerk’s office where you are registered. You can find the Clerk’s office address and contact information under Elections and Voting → Voter Resources → Am I Registered to Vote? on the MA Secretary of State’s website.
- When you receive your absentee ballot in the mail, make sure you fill it out according to the instructions included, and seal it in the accompanying security envelope before mailing it back to your city/town clerk (the envelope is usually pre-addressed).
- Absentee ballots must be received by the city/town clerk’s office by the close of polls on Election Day. You can track your ballot to ensure it was received and counted by your election office by going to Elections and Voting → Voter Resources → Track My Ballot on the MA Secretary of State’s website.