Preparations Ahead of the 2022 State Election Announced

The City of Boston’s Election Department today announced its preparations ahead of the State Election taking place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, including two weeks of in-person early voting and ballot drop box locations.

The City previously announced the addition of 20 new voting precincts, following the Boston Election Precinct Adjustment Plan completed in October 2021, which aimed to increase voting accessibility by distributing voters equitably across precincts. The number of voting precincts has now increased from 255 to 275. As a result, the City of Boston is advising voters that they may experience a change in their precinct and polling location. Voters can find their polling location here.

The Elections Department has been conducting outreach to ensure that residents are aware of any change to their polling location ahead of the election. Voters can also check their registration status via the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website to find their election day polling location.

In-Person Early Voting

Voters registered in Boston can vote during the early voting period starting Saturday, October 22  and lasting through Friday, November 4, 2022 at any of the early voting sites. Hours and locations for in-person early voting can be found here. 

The Boston Red Sox have partnered with the City to make Fenway Park available as an early voting location on Saturday, October 29 and Sunday, October 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters may access the ballpark using the Gate A entrance located on Jersey Street. Voters will cast their ballots in the Third Base Concourse and will have an opportunity to view the field before exiting onto Lansdowne Street.

All early voting sites are equipped with electronic poll books for voter check in. Early voting locations are well-staffed with poll workers and interpreters, and fully accessible to voters with disabilities. 

Accessible Voting

Massachusetts has implemented an Accessible Electronic Voting System. Boston voters may now request, receive, complete, and return their ballot electronically using a secure web portal.  More information about voting for persons with disabilities is available here. Boston residents may also make requests through the Boston Election Department. The deadline to make a request is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

Vote By Mail

Applications for vote-by-mail ballots have been mailed out to every voter in Boston. To be eligible to vote by mail in the State Election, vote-by-mail applications must reach the Boston Election Department by Tuesday, November 1, at 5:00 p.m. Vote-by-mail applications can be returned by U.S. mail using the prepaid postcard, in person at the Boston Election Department (located at Boston City Hall, Room 241), or by emailing absenteevoter@boston.gov. 

If a voter did not receive a vote-by-mail application or misplaced the application, they should apply directly on the Massachusetts online portal.

Voters should follow the instructions enclosed with their ballot package. Voters must sign the yellow ballot affidavit envelope. Unsigned ballot affidavit envelopes will cause a ballot to be rejected. 

Ballot Drop Boxes

Voters are able to drop their mail-in ballot at any of the 21 ballot drop boxes the Elections Department has placed around the City, including at both the first and third floor entrances of Boston City Hall. All drop boxes are monitored under 24 hour video surveillance. Drop boxes will also be available at each early voting location during the scheduled voting hours. To find a ballot drop box location, visit here. Voters can track their ballot through the state's website. 

Voters may drop their ballots into a drop box until 8 p.m. on November 8, 2022. Ballots that are returned by U.S. mail and are postmarked by November 8, 2022 must be received by the Election Department by November 12.

Voting on Election Day 

Polling locations for the State Election will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Ballots will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Language assistance will be available on Election Day by interpreters at polling locations or by contacting the Election Department’s interpreters phone bank. Those interested in volunteering can apply to be a poll worker here.

For more information on how to participate in this year's elections, please visit boston.gov/election.