2002 Massachusetts State Primary and State Election Schedule

Party and independent candidates for district and county offices

Party candidates for federal and state-wide offices

Independent and minor party candidates for federal and state-wide offices

Nomination papers must be available. (They may be released earlier; check with Elections Division.)

February 12, 2002

February 12, 2002

February 12, 2002

Last day for a person running in a state primary to enroll in a party or for a person running only in a state election to unenroll from a party (except newly registered voters).

February 26, 2002

March 5, 2002

March 5, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to submit nomination papers to Registrars of Voters for certification of signatures

April 30, 2002

May 7, 2002

July 30, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour for Registrars of Voters to complete certification of signatures.

May 21, 2002

May 28, 2002

August 20, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour for candidates to apply for review of non-certified signatures.

May 23, 2002

May 30, 2002

August 22, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour for Registrars of Voters to complete review of non-certified signatures.

May 24, 2002

June 3, 2002

August 26, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to file nomination papers (including party enrollment or voter registration certificate and Ethics Commission receipt) with the Secretary of the Commonwealth

May 28, 2002

June 4, 2002

August 27, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to file withdrawals of or objections to nomination papers with the Secretary of the Commonwealth

May 31, 2002

June 7, 2002

August 30, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to fill vacancies caused by withdrawals.

June 5, 2002

June 12, 2002

September 5, 2002

Please note: All dates and deadlines below are the same for all candidates.

9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., last day to register to vote and to change party enrollment for the State Primaries (except in towns with fewer than 1500 voters registration sessions must be held 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

State Primaries

Tuesday, September 17, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to file withdrawals of or objections to nominations at the state primaries.

Monday, September 23, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour to fill vacancies caused by withdrawals at the state primaries.

Thursday, September 26, 2002

5:00 p.m., last day and hour for write-in or sticker candidates who won at the state primary to file a written acceptance of nomination.

Monday, September 30, 2002

9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., last day to register to vote and to change party enrollment for the State Election (except in towns with fewer than 1500 voters registration sessions must be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).

Wednesday, October 16, 2002

State Election

Tuesday, November 5, 2002