Early voting in Boston starts Saturday: What you need to know
Though Election Day in Boston — and many other cities in Massachusetts — isn't until Tuesday, Nov. 4, voters can start casting their ballots as soon as this weekend.
In-person early voting in Boston runs from Saturday, Oct. 25 to Friday, Oct. 31, for the general municipal election. Though Mayor Michelle Wu will be the only candidate on the ballot for the top office, voters will still get a chance to select the next set of city councilors.
Here's everything you need to know if you're planning to vote early.
Where and when can I vote early in person?
Voters can go to any open polling location if voting early, unlike on Election Day, when voters must go to their assigned poll location. While there will be polls open every day from Saturday to Friday, the available locations will differ each day.
On Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and 26, 10 locations in various neighborhoods will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The open locations are the Mildred Avenue Community Center in Mattapan, James F. Condon Elementary School in South Boston, Richard J. Murphy School in Dorchester, Margarita Muniz Academy in Jamaica Plain, Another Course to College in Hyde Park, Roche Community Center in West Roxbury, Shelburne Community Center in Roxbury, Boston Architectural College in Fenway, Jackson Mann School in Allston and Harvard/Kent School in Charlestown.
On Monday, Oct. 27, voting will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Haymarket Room at City Hall.
On Tuesday, Oct. 28, voting will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Haymarket Room at City Hall and from 12 to 8 p.m. at the Paris Street Community Center in East Boston, Perkins Community Center in Dorchester and Quincy Community Center in Chinatown.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, voting will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Haymarket Room at City Hall.
On Thursday, Oct. 30, voting will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Haymarket Room at City Hall and from 12 to 8 p.m. at the Tobin Community Center in Mission Hill, Florian Hall in Dorchester and Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Roslindale.
On Friday, Oct. 31, voting will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Haymarket Room at City Hall. This will be the last chance for in-person early voting.
Can I still register to vote?
Saturday, Oct. 25, is the last day you can register to vote in the Nov. 4 election.
To register in person, visit the Elections Department in City Hall by 5 p.m. on Oct. 25.
You may also register online here by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 25 or by mail by printing and filling out one of the forms available here and mailing them to the Elections Department at 1 City Hall Square, Room 241, Boston, MA 02201. Mailed forms must be postmarked by Oct. 25.
How do I return a mail-in ballot?
If you requested a mail-in ballot, you may return it by mail using the envelope provided with your ballot or drop it in one of the drop boxes around the city. You can see a full list of drop box locations here .
The Elections Department must receive mail-in ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 4.
Mail-in ballot applications must be received by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, one week before the election. For more information about how to request a mail-in ballot, visit this page .
Who is on the ballot?
While voters will have the opportunity to make their choice for mayor, Wu will be the only candidate listed on the ballot after her top opponent, Josh Kraft, dropped out of the race after September's preliminary election. The other two mayoral candidates, Domingos DaRosa and Robert Cappucci, failed to gather enough votes to make it onto the November ballot.
However, there will still be plenty of decisions for voters to make. There are eight candidates for city councilor-at-large, of which four will make it onto the City Council. Incumbent Councilors Erin Murphy, Henry Santana, Ruthzee Louijeune and Julia Mejia are running for reelection against candidates Will Onuoha, Marvin Dee Mathelier, Alexandra Valdez and former Councilor Frank Baker.
District 3 Councilor John Fitzgerald and District 8 Councilor Sharon Durkan are both running unopposed for reelection, but voters in Districts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 will all have two candidates to choose from to represent their districts.
You can find more information on the candidates here .
Where can I get more information on early voting?
More information about early voting is available on the city website here . You can find additional election information on the state Elections Department webpage .
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