Four weeks out from the November 3, 2026 State Election, Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin’s office has announced that more than 600,000 ballots are already on their way to voters who have applied to vote by mail. Local election officials are expected to mail another 300,000 ballots in the next several days, to fulfill pending requests.
Voters who have already applied for a Vote by Mail ballot are encouraged to track the status of their ballots at www.VoteInMA.com and to keep an eye on their mailboxes in the coming days. According to the United States Postal Service, voters should expect to receive their ballots within seven days of the date that it was mailed to them.
Those who have not yet applied to vote by mail have until 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27 to do so. Applications may be submitted online, by mail, or in person. Applications submitted by mail must arrive at the appropriate local election office by 5 p.m. on October 27.
Voters are encouraged to return their Vote by Mail ballots using secure ballot drop boxes, which are available in most cities and towns. Ballot drop box locations can be found at www.VoteInMA.com. Ballots returned to drop boxes will go directly to the local election office in that city or town, ensuring timely delivery.
Ballots may also be returned to local election offices and to early voting locations during voting hours. In-person early voting will begin October 17 and end on October 30. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the local election office by November 6, 2026, in order to be counted. Voters returning their ballots by mail are urged to do so no later than October 27.
