Thanks to the global health crisis mail-in voting ballots are all the rage in 2020 — and you can track mail-in ballot online.
Also, early voting is taking place from Aug. 22 through Friday, Aug. 28 in Boston for the Sept. 1 primary. And unlike traditional polling, you can vote at any location in the city that is most convenient for you. All ballot styles will be available at every early voting location.
Early voting is available in Jamaica Plain this Thursday, Aug. 27 from noon to 8 pm at the Margarita Muniz School (20 Child St.). Click here for a list of early voting locations across the city.
City Hall will be open for early voting Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, and until 8 pm on Thursday for early voting.
Track Your Mail-In Ballot
The Massachusetts Secretary of State’s website makes it easy to track your mail-in ballot, and you can do it by clicking here.
All registered voters received a vote-by-mail application in their mail boxes the week of July 20, 2020. To receive a ballot, voters have/had until August 26, 2020 to complete, sign and return the prepaid postcard application to the Election Department to vote in the Sept. 1 state primary.
Voters shared their personal experiences about sending in their application.
how long did it take to register as accepted? dropped mine at an early voting box on saturday and still no record of it having been received.
— bobryan (@bobryan) August 25, 2020
it seems like they may be processing them in batches once they get to city hall – I know several people, including myself, whose ballots were updated to accepted on 8/20 despite mailing them on a variety of dates (FWIW, I mailed mine on 8/17)
— squid pro quo, esq. (@hi_11_ary) August 25, 2020
FYI. We requested our mail in ballot 11 days ago. Still nothing. The election is a week away. Even if we happen to get our ballots how can we trust that they’d be received by the deadline. #DeJoyMustGo
— bassbar (@bassbar) August 25, 2020
Nice to see mine was accepted. Friends, might as well check if you haven't already. https://t.co/3ilPwPwTqs
— Nick Schmidt (@CycleJargon) August 25, 2020
But even if a voter didn’t make it in time to vote for the Sept. 1 primary doesn’t mean they can’t vote in the extremely important Nov. 3 state and national elections. So send in your application!
Absentee voting in person is available until Aug. 31, 2020 at noon at Boston’s Elections Department in City Hall. To qualify to vote absentee, registered voters must be absent from the City on Election Day, must have a religious belief which prevents them from going inside of a polling location, or have a physical disability which prevents them from going to a polling location. The application to request an absentee ballot can be completed by mail or in person at the Election Department in City Hall. Learn more about applying here.
There have also been 20 polling locations across Boston (none in Jamaica Plain), which you can see here.
