This year is a municipal election year, meaning cities and towns across Massachusetts will hold elections for local offices. The dates and what local offices are actually up for election this year depends on where you live.
Fifty-five cities and towns will have elections on Nov. 4 — and just a few will have preliminary elections in August and September to narrow the fields of candidates.
What’s on my ballot: Dates, times and elections
Boston
Boston’s preliminary election is Tuesday, Sept. 9, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The city’s municipal election will be Nov. 4. Early voting and mail-in ballots are available for both elections.
Voters will cast ballots for mayor and Boston City Council this year.
In the mayoral preliminary election, candidates are incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu, Josh Kraft, Robert Cappucci and Domingos DaRosa.
Boston City Council seats are contested in Districts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7, as well as the four at-large members of council. All current at-large councilors are running for re-election. Former Councilor Frank Baker is among the list of challengers in that preliminary contest. District 7, which covers Roxbury and Dorchester, was previously represented by Tania Fernandes Anderson, who resigned this summer after pleading guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and theft. There is a large field of candidates looking to replace her.
You can look up your district and polling location on the city’s website.
Worcester
Worcester’s preliminary election is Tuesday, Sept. 2. The city’s general election will come on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls will be open both dates from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also vote by mail.
Mayor, Worcester City Council and Worcester School Committee members are all up for election this year. Only the at-large council seats and School Committee District E races will appear on the preliminary ballot in September.
Current At-Large Councilor Thu Nguyen is not seeking another term. Nguyen, the first openly nonbinary person elected to government in Massachusetts, accused fellow councilors of making transphobic comments. In total, there are 14 candidates for city councilor at-large appearing on the preliminary election ballot, and the top 12 will advance to the November election. Only six seats are available.
Everyone running for an at-large City Council seat is automatically considered a mayoral candidate unless they withdraw from the mayoral race in September. Only incumbent Mayor Joe Petty and Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King have expressly stated their desire to be mayor. To be elected mayor, a candidate must receive more votes than the other mayoral candidates and finish in the top-six in the at-large council race.
You can check your registration status and locate your polling location on the city’s website.
Cambridge
Cambridge will be electing city councilors and school committee members on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Details on where to vote can be found here on the city’s website. Cambridge also offers early voting and mail-in ballots.
Make sure you understand how your ballot works before you vote: Cambridge uses a proportional ranked-choice voting system. City council and school committee candidates all run effectively “at-large,” meaning they can be voted for and will represent the entire city. The elected councilors then choose who among them will be mayor for the next two years.
There are 20 candidates for nine seats on the City Council, including almost all of the incumbents. Councilor Paul Toner will not be seeking another term. He is facing charges for allegedly paying for sex through a local brothel ring in 2023.
Somerville
Somerville will have its preliminary elections on Tuesday, Sept. 16 and its municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 4 — with polls open for both from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling place, early voting options and mail-in ballots onthe city’s website.
The preliminary election will whittle the field of mayoral candidates, at-large city council candidates, candidates for Ward 7 councilor and candidates for Ward 3 school committee member. Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is running for a third two-year term against two at-large city councilors: Willie Burnley Jr. and Jake Wilson.
Quincy
Quincy has its polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for its preliminary election and Tuesday, Nov. 4, for its municipal election. There are early voting and mail-in options for both elections. Here’s more information from the city’s website on where you can vote in Quincy.
All city council seats and some school committee seats will be on the ballot. Quincy votes for the mayor every four years, coming next in 2027.
Everett
Everett voters will head to the ballot box on Tuesday, Nov. 4 for voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mail-in voting options will begin at some point in September, City Clerk Sergio Cornelio told GBH News. Early in-person voting will be available at City Hall in late October, Cornelio says, starting Saturday, Oct. 25, through the following Friday. In-person early voting will not be available on Sunday, and hours will vary by day.
Voters can choose who they want for mayor, city council and school committee. The full candidate list can be found here on the city government website. Mayor Carlo DeMaria is facing a challenge from City Councilor Robert Van Campen.
Each of the six Everett City Council wards have multiple candidates hoping to be on the ballot, as well as several at-large city council candidates. The school committee races aren’t all so contentious: everyone will have a chance to choose their preferred at-large candidates, but just Wards 2 and 6 have multiple candidates.
How to register to vote in Massachusetts
You can check your voter registration status here. If you want to vote in a municipal election, the deadline is Oct. 25, 2025. You have to register at least 10 days before any primaries in your city or town to be eligible to vote. So, in Quincy, that means Aug. 23; in Boston, that means Aug. 30. Reach out to your town clerk or city clerk with any questions.
Even though there are no statewide elections this fall, you still need to be registered to vote with the state in order to vote in your city or town.
If you have never registered before, want to switch political parties, recently became a citizen or if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, even if it’s within the same district, you need to register to vote.
You can register to voteonline,by mail or in person. Learn more here to access the necessary forms, or check with your local election office. You’ll need to provide a driver’s license, state ID or social security number to register, or you may be asked, in certain situations such as if it’s your first time voting, to show documents with your name such as a bank statement or utility bill when you go to vote in-person.
When you register to vote, you’ll be asked if you want to enroll in a party or stay unenrolled.
Anyone can register, as long as you are:
- 18 years old, or will be 18 by the time of the election (you can pre-register when you’re 16)
- A U.S. citizen and resident of Massachusetts
- Not currently incarcerated for a felony
If you’re doingcertain things at the Registry of Motor Vehicles or MassHealth, such as applying to renew your driver’s license or applying for MassHealth benefits, you may be automatically registered to vote. But if you’ve moved recently, you still need to re-register.
Massachusetts governor’s race
The Massachusetts governor’s election will take place in 2026.
Maura Healey, the current governor who came up from her post as Massachusetts attorney general, will be running for reelection as a Democrat. No other major candidates have declared for the Democratic ticket.
Two Republicans, so far, are vying for the GOP nomination. Mike Kennealy jumped into the race first; he was the housing and economics chief under former (popular) Gov. Charlie Baker. Brian Shortsleeve is also looking to be on the ticket; he served as the MBTA head under Baker.
Check back here next year for more details on the candidates, their platforms, statewide ballot initiatives and when to head to the polls.
