Massachusetts voting deadlines for the November 3, 2026 election

Massachusetts voter registration closes Oct 24 for the November 3, 2026 election. Every deadline — registration, mail ballot and early voting — with the official source for each.

Look up your own ballot and polling place →

Every date

Saturday, October 17, 2026 – Friday, October 30, 2026
Early voting (hours and locations vary by county)

Early in-person voting begins Saturday, Oct 17 statewide. Early in-person voting ends Friday, Oct 30 statewide. The Oct 17-30 window is set by state law, but sites and hours are set by each city and town (statute sets minimum weekend hours by municipality size).

Saturday, October 24, 2026
Voter registration deadline (online, by mail and in person)

Register online (requires a Massachusetts RMV license or state ID signature) by 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Oct 24. Mailed registration forms must be postmarked before midnight Saturday, Oct 24. Register in person at your city or town election office by 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct 24 (10 days before the election).

Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Last day to request a mail ballot

Your vote-by-mail application must reach your local election office by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct 27 (5th business day before the election).

Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Mail ballot return deadline

Hand-delivered or drop-box ballots must arrive before polls close (8 p.m.) on Nov 3. Mailed ballots postmarked by Nov 3 count if received by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov 6.

How voting works in Massachusetts

Dates computed from Massachusetts General Laws and cross-checked against official 2026 municipal election pages (Boston: registration Oct 24, early voting Oct 17-30; Gloucester: online registration 11:59 p.m. Oct 24, mail application 5 p.m. Oct 27, early voting Oct 17-30). The Secretary of the Commonwealth site remained unreachable (bot wall; archive copies unavailable). U.S. Supreme Court Watson v. RNC (June 29, 2026) confirms post-Election-Day receipt windows are not preempted by federal law. Registration deadline falls on a Saturday. Some town pages say ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Election Day; that is the rule for hand delivery/drop box, but state law also accepts mailed ballots postmarked by Nov 3 and received by 5 p.m. Nov 6.

What we could not confirm

We publish a gap rather than a guess. These points were not settled by an official source:

Where these came from

Every date above was read from the Massachusetts election office's own published material, last checked Tuesday, September 15, 2026. Confirm anything you are relying on with your local election authority.

https://gloucester-ma.gov/337/Elections

Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 11:59pm

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVIII/Chapter51/Section26

Mailed affidavits of registration postmarked before midnight on the final day to register for an election shall be effective for such election

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVIII/Chapter54/Section25B

No application shall be deemed to be seasonably filed unless it is received in the office of the city or town clerk or registrars of voters before 5 p.m. on the fifth business day preceding the preliminary, primary or election.

Other states