NEWS

Governor Signs Bill Allowing All Residents to Vote by Mail in 2020 Elections

Jul 9, 2020

Massachusetts this week became the latest state to allow all residents to vote by mail in any 2020 election, with no excuse needed. The Mass. Healthy Aging Collaborative encourages communities working to become age-friendly to promote this option among their older residents.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, a Vote by Mail application will be mailed to every person who was registered to vote by July 1 and who had not already requested an absentee ballot for the State Primary or for all elections this year.

A second mailing will be sent out in September to all voters who have not already applied for a Vote by Mail ballot for the November election. The applications are pre-addressed to your local election official and no postage is necessary.

Vote by Mail applications must be delivered to your local election office no later than 4 business days before the election.

For a State Primary ballot, your application must reach your local election office no later than August 26.

For a State Election ballot, your application must reach your local election office no later than October 28.

Those interested in voting by mail are strongly encouraged to return an application as early as possible, to make sure that you will receive your ballot in time to return it and have it be counted.

Vote by Mail applications are available for download and may also be requested by contacting the Elections Division.

You can find more information on voting by mail on the Secretary of State’s Voting by Mail FAQs page.