Election Advisories
Current and archived Election Advisories are available below. Election Advisories are issued by the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth to local election officials to provide guidance about state laws and regulations, as well as helpful reminders and best practices.
Election Advisories have been issued since 2020. The information in the archived Advisories may no longer be in effect, if laws or regulations have been changed. Please refer to the most recent Election Advisory on a specific topic.
Information for Voters Ballot Question Books
Prior to each statewide election, the Secretary of the Commonwealth publishes an Information for Voters booklet, which contains detailed information on all statewide ballot questions, in a number of different formats.
An archive of Information for Voters booklets from 2000-present is available below. Contact the Elections Division for copies of older Information for Voters.
Lists of Candidates
For each statewide election, the Elections Division publishes a complete list of candidates running for each office and district. An archive of candidate lists from 2002-present is available below.
Post-Election Audit Reports
After each presidential election, state law requires that a post-election audit of 3% of all precincts in Massachusetts be conducted. The Elections Division compiles a detailed audit report, showing any differences in the votes cast between the initial count and the audit, as well as a statewide narrative. Those reports are archived below.
Regulations
- 950 CMR 46 – Post-election Audit Procedures
- 950 CMR 47 – Early Voting
- 950 CMR 48 – Ballot Question Petitions
- 950 CMR 49 – Confidential Voter Registration
- 950 CMR 50 – Voting Equipment
- 950 CMR 51 – Polling Place Accessibility
- 950 CMR 52 – Voting and Counting Procedures for Paper Ballots
- 950 CMR 54 – Voting and Counting Procedures for Electronic Voting Systems
- 950 CMR 55 – Certification of Nomination Papers and Petitions
- 950 CMR 56 – Administrative Proceedings Concerning Practices of Local Election Officials
- 950 CMR 57 – Voter Registration
- 950 CMR 58 – Central Registry of Voters
- 950 CMR 59 – State Ballot Law Commission
