As the United States heads into November midterm elections, here’s everything Massachusetts voters will need to know to cast their ballots.
Check out all of GBH News’ coverage for more information as Election Day approaches. And read up on the nine ballot initiatives voters will be asked to decide.
Important dates
The state of Massachusetts now offers unrestricted voting by mail for all general elections.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026: Deadline to register to vote by mail, online or in person. Mail-in applications must be postmarked by this date.
Saturday, Oct. 17 - Friday, Oct. 30: Early in-person voting is available. Dates and locations vary by municipality, so check the secretary of state’s website here for your local details.
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026: Vote-by-mail application deadline by 5 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 2, 2026: Absentee ballots may be requested in person until this date.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day
Follow this link to check your voter registration status.
If you’ve visited the Registry of Motor Vehicles or MassHealth recently, you may already be registered to vote. Remember that, if you’ve moved, you’ll need to re-register with your change of address.
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Candidates on your ballot
Massachusetts voters will be voting for their members of Congress, state senators and representatives, governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of the commonwealth, auditor and treasurer. Plus, locally, you might have a competitive race for district attorney or Governor’s Council.
Read up on your options on the ballot.
U.S. Senator
The Massachusetts seat for U.S. Senate will have four candidates on the ballot: incumbent Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, Republican John Deaton, Joe Tache of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and independent candidate Shiva Ayyadurai.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren won another six-year term in 2024, so her seat won’t be on the ballot again until 2030.
U.S. House of Representatives
All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election every two years. There are 17 candidates competing to fill the total of nine seats in Massachusetts. Use this federal lookup tool to check your district and see who represents you in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In the 1st District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Richard Neal is facing independent Nadia Milleron. No Republicans are running for the seat.
In the 2nd District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern is running unopposed.
In the 3rd District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan is facing Republican Gary Grossi and independent Dennis Conlon.
In the 4th District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss is facing Republican Tom Stalcup.
In the 5th District, House Minority Whip and incumbent Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark is running unopposed.
In the 6th District, Democrat Dan Koh is facing Republican Micah Jones.
In the 7th District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley is running unopposed.
In the 8th District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch is facing Republican Robert Burke and independent Rasheed Walters.
In the 9th District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Bill Keating is facing Republican Tyler MacAllister.
Governor
Massachusetts holds separate gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primaries, but the nominees run together on a single ticket in the general election.
The three tickets are as follows:
- Incumbent Democrats Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll
- Republicans Mike Minogue and Shawn Oliver
- Independents Andrea James and Kayla Kittredge
Note that, while Oliver appears on the ballot next to Minogue, he suspended his campaign following a car accident and a drunken driving charge. Minogue has said Oliver will not serve as lieutenant governor.
Attorney general
Incumbent Democrat Andrea Joy Campbell and Republican Mike Walsh are facing off in the general election for attorney general.
District attorneys
Here are the candidates for district attorney:
- Berkshire District: Democrat Timothy J. Shugrue
- Bristol District: Republican Seth Thomas Aitken and Democrat Chris Markey
- Cape & Islands District: Democrat Robert Galibois
- Eastern District: Democrat Paul F. Tucker
- Hampden District: Democrat Anthony D. Gulluni
- Middle District: Democrat: Joseph D. Early, Jr.
- Norfolk District: Democrat Djuna Perkins and independent Joseph Pagliarulo
- Northern District: Democrat Marian Ryan
- Northwestern District: Democrat Dave Sullivan
- Plymouth District: Republican Timothy J. Cruz
- Suffolk District: Democrat Kevin R. Hayden
Secretary of the Commonwealth
Incumbent Democrat Bill Galvin will be facing Republican Anne Brensley for secretary of state, which is known as the secretary of the commonwealth in Massachusetts.
Auditor
Incumbent Democrat Diana DiZoglio and Libertarian Party candidate Al Ozonoff are running in the general election.
Treasurer
Incumbent Democrat Deb Goldberg will face off against challenger Republican Elizabeth Dionne.
State lawmakers
Every seat in the 200-person Legislature is up for election.
See the candidates running for the Massachusetts state Senate and state House of Representatives.
Ballot Questions
There are nine statewide ballot questions this year.
The Supreme Judicial Court — the state’s highest court — nixed other highly anticipated questions from the ballot. A proposed cut to the state’s income tax was taken off the ballot after the justices decided the attorney general’s office had erred in its summary of the question. Another initiative that would have allowed cities and towns to implement rent control was eliminated because, by noting that religious institutions would be exempt, it made religion a factor in the question.
Your options for voting
Once you’ve registered and done your research on the issues and candidates, it’s time to vote.
Absentee voting and vote by mail
If you won’t be home on Election Day, are serving in the military or living overseas, are currently incarcerated, or you have religious beliefs or a disability that prevent you from voting in person at your polling place, you may be eligible to vote with an absentee ballot. You can apply by mail, email or fax through your local election office. You’d be using the same ballots as voters who vote by mail and need to meet the same deadlines.
Click here to get more information about options for individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated.
All other voters are entitled to vote by mail for any reason, as long as you’re already registered to vote. Every Massachusetts resident should be sent an application in the mail before the election. You can also apply online.
Officials urge voters to apply as early as they can to allow enough time for the mail to arrive. While you’re waiting, you can use the online ballot tracker to follow the status of your ballot.
You can also choose to return your mail-in ballots in person at your city or town’s local election office or ballot drop boxes — but not your polling location on Election Day. Find your city or town’s locations here.
Early voting
If you prefer to vote in person, you can get a head start and vote early, no reason needed. But where you vote early will be different from your typical Election Day poll site.
Check your city and town’s early voting dates and locations on the secretary of state’s website.
Vote in person on Election Day
You can always vote in person Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Find your polling location and view your ballot through this lookup tool.
In most cases, you will not be asked to show an ID to vote. There are only some cases, like if you’re voting for the first time, that a poll worker may ask to see your ID. Your proof of identification can be a license, recent utility bill or a copy of your rental lease.
If you don’t have your ID with you, it’s your right to request a provisional ballot. You can then return to the polling location before it closes to have your ID verified and your vote counted.
You can also cast a provisional ballot if your name isn’t on the list at your polling location. You can ask the poll worker to call the local election office to confirm your registration.
How to vote if you’re a college student
College students are allowed to vote using their Massachusetts school residence address. You can decide if you prefer to register in your home state or in Massachusetts if you attend school there. You may only be registered and vote in one location.
How to vote if you have a disability
Massachusetts requires that all polling locations are physically accessible, which should include accessible parking, entrances and ramps wherever there are stairs.
More information on accessible voting in Boston can be found here, including instructions on how to request an accessible ballot.
