How to Vote in a Primary

In Massachusetts, every registered voter can vote in a primary election. You do not need to be a party member to participate, but your party registration may affect your ballot options.

Read below to learn how to vote in a primary, when primaries are held, and other important information.

Political Parties

Primaries are held in order for political parties to choose their nominees for the general election ballot. There are currently three recognized political parties in Massachusetts:

• Democratic Party
• Republican Party
• Libertarian Party

Each party holds its own primary. Separate ballots are printed for each party, with only the candidates running for that party’s nomination listed.

Non-party candidates, often called “independent candidates,” don’t appear on primary ballots. They only run in the general election.

Party Enrollment

You don’t need to enroll in a party to vote in a primary in Massachusetts. All registered voters can participate.

If you’re registered in one party, however, you can’t vote in another party’s primary.

You can vote in the party primary of your choice if you're:

• Registered as Unenrolled (often called “Independent”)
• Registered in a political designation

If you want to change your party to vote in a different party’s primary, you’ll need to update your voter registration at least 10 days before the primary.

Check your party enrollment before the voter registration deadline. You can make a party change online, by mail, or in person at your local election office.

Choosing a Ballot

If you aren’t enrolled in a political party, you can choose a party ballot when you check-in at your polling place. Choosing a ballot won’t enroll you in a party.

Check the specimen ballots on the wall at your polling place before making your selection. Once you’ve chosen a ballot, and the poll worker marks your choice on the voter list, you can’t change your selection.

If you vote by mail, and you are not a party member, make sure to select your party on the Vote by Mail application. If you don’t select a party on the Vote by Mail application, you won’t get a primary ballot.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are primaries held?

Regular state primaries are held in September of each even-numbered year. Voters in these primaries choose party candidates to run in the November election.

Presidential primaries in Massachusetts occur on the first Tuesday of March in each presidential election year. This day, is often called “Super Tuesday,” because many states hold their presidential primaries on the same day.

Visit our Upcoming Elections page to find the dates of specific elections.

Why isn’t there an “Independent” option on my Vote by Mail application?

Primaries are only held by political parties, so there’s no “independent primary.” Any non-party candidates automatically advance to the November general election ballot.

When you choose a party option on your Vote by Mail application, you’re just making a ballot choice. You aren’t registering in that party.

Why can’t I vote for candidates in both parties?

Parties hold separate primaries in Massachusetts, with separate ballots. State law doesn’t allow for voters to choose more than one ballot, or for candidates of different parties to appear on the same primary ballot.

Can I write-in a candidate from a different party on my ballot?

Yes. You can write-in any candidate not listed on your ballot, but the vote will be counted as one vote for that person to win the party nomination for the primary in which you’re voting.

For example, if you write-in the name of a Republican candidate on your Democratic Primary ballot, you’ll be casting your vote for that candidate to receive the Democratic nomination.

Why are Democratic ballots red and Republican ballots blue?

It’s a long-standing Massachusetts tradition.

While modern political coverage uses blue for Democrats and red for Republicans, Massachusetts has used the reverse for primary ballots for nearly a century.

Primary ballots in Massachusetts appear with red/pink paper for Democratic ballots and blue paper for Republican ballots.