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Voting in your state

Voting in Massachusetts, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Massachusetts through Friday, October 30.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Sat, Oct 17 · passed
    Early voting begins
  2. Sat, Oct 24 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Saturday October 24, 2026, 10 days before Election Day.1
  3. Fri, Oct 30 · 3 days
    Early voting ends
    Early in-person voting runs from Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Friday, October 30, 2026.1
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day
  5. Fri, Nov 6 · 10 days
    Mail ballots must arrive
    Mail ballots must be received by Friday, November 6, 2026. If in person or at a drop box, by the close of polls on Election Day. If mailed, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no more than 3 days after Election Day by 5 PM.1
  6. Wed, Nov 18 · 22 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    Local returns are canvassed within 15 days of the election, by November 18.3
  7. Thu, Dec 3 · 37 days
    Deadline to contest the result
    A contest must be filed within 30 days of the election, by December 3, 2026.4

Questions people ask about voting in Massachusetts

Q. When does early voting end in Massachusetts?

Early in-person voting runs from Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Friday, October 30, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Massachusetts?

Register by Saturday October 24, 2026, 10 days before Election Day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Massachusetts?

Mail ballot applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday October 27, 2026, 5 business days before Election Day.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Massachusetts?

Mail ballots must be received by Friday, November 6, 2026. If in person or at a drop box, by the close of polls on Election Day. If mailed, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received no more than 3 days after Election Day by 5 PM.

Q. Who certifies the election in Massachusetts, and by when?

The city or town clerk receives the precinct votes and sends the results to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Local results are due within 15 days after the election, by November 18, 2026. The Secretary of the Commonwealth transmits the city and town results to the State Canvassers--which consists of the Governor and the Executive Council--who then tabulate the municipal totals, prepare the statewide canvass and certify the results. The governor certifies the results no earlier than 5 p.m. on November 18, 2026, the 15th day after the election, with no set end date.

Q. What happens after the count in Massachusetts, and when is there a recount?

A recount petition may be filed when the margin is one half of one percent or less, with local registrars within 10 days after the election and with the Secretary of the Commonwealth by the 15th day.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Massachusetts?

A contest must be filed within 30 days of the election, by December 3, 2026.

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Sources

  1. Vote.org, Massachusetts Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/massachusetts/
  2. sec.state.ma.us, https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/voting-information/vote-by-mail.htm
  3. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  4. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  5. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  6. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/
  7. ncsl.org, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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