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Mass. 2024 voter’s guide: Election Day questions, answered
All the Election Day information voters need, from casting your ballot to finding results.
Brace yourselves: Election Day 2024 is finally here, Massachusetts.
Early voting kicked off a few weeks ago, and more voters will head to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on matters big and small, from local races to statewide ballot questions and, of course, the U.S. presidential election.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When and where can I vote?
Polls in Massachusetts open Tuesday at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The registration deadline to vote in this election was Oct. 26.
You can check your voter registration status, find your polling place, and view more Election Day information from Secretary of State William Galvin’s office at VoteInMA.com.
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Upon arriving at your polling place, you’ll be asked to provide your name and address so you can be found on the voter list. If your name isn’t on the list for some reason, you can cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted if and when your eligibility is confirmed. You may also need to show ID at check-in.
- Further reading: Here’s your guide to voting as a college student
- Take the T: Plan your Election Day trip with public transit at mbta.com/take-the-t-vote. Uber and Lyft are also offering Election Day discounts.
What about mail-in voting?
The vote-by-mail application deadline was Oct. 29.
There are a few different ways you can return your ballot: Mailing it back, hand-delivering it to your local election office, dropping it off at an early voting location during early voting hours, or placing it in a ballot drop box. But note: You can’t drop off your mail-in ballot at a polling place on Election Day, per Galvin’s office.
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If you’re dropping your ballot off in-person or at a drop box, you have until 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Ballots mailed domestically must be postmarked by Election Day and received by local election officials no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8. Mail-in ballots sent from outside the U.S. must also be postmarked by Election Day but have until 5 p.m. on Nov. 15 to arrive.
- Track your ballot: TrackMyBallotMA.com
- Find a drop box: Galvin’s office offers a list of local local election offices and ballot drop boxes.
Which races are on the ballot?
President and Vice President
Shiva Ayyadurai and Crystal Ellis, Independent
Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, Socialism and Liberation
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Democratic
Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat, Libertarian
Jill Stein and Gloria Caballero-Roca, Green-Rainbow Party (the party says its actual vice presidential candidate is Rudolph “Butch” Ware, though Caballero-Roca’s name appears on Massachusetts ballots)
Donald Trump and JD Vance, Republican
- Further reading: Two closing arguments show the stark choice between Trump and Harris
- Further reading: Watch: Harris and Trump push for votes in unlikely places
U.S. Senator
Elizabeth Warren, Democratic (incumbent)
John Deaton, Republican
- Further reading: ‘I’m not loyal to any party’: John Deaton pitches himself as moderate alternative to Elizabeth Warren
- Further reading: Q&A: Elizabeth Warren talks ‘crypto billionaires,’ labeling Trump a fascist, an arms embargo on Israel, and more
U.S. Representative
First District
Richard Neal, Democratic (incumbent)
Nadia Donya Milleron, Independent/Unaffiliated
Second District
Jim McGovern, Democratic (incumbent)
Cornelius Shea, Independent
Third District
Lori Trahan, Democratic (incumbent)
Fourth District
Jake Auchincloss, Democratic (incumbent)
Fifth District
Katherine Clark, Democratic (incumbent)
Sixth District
Seth Moulton, Democratic (incumbent)
Seventh District
Ayanna Pressley, Democratic (incumbent)
Eighth District
Stephen Lynch, Democratic (incumbent)
Robert Burke, Republican
Ninth District
Bill Keating, Democratic (incumbent)
Dan Sullivan Republican
A full list of candidates running for office in Massachusetts this election cycle can be found here.
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You can also view a sample ballot to see who’s running in your district.
What about the ballot questions?
Question 1 asks voters whether the state auditor should be allowed to audit the Massachusetts Legislature.
Question 2 seeks to eliminate the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests or any other statewide or districtwide assessments in English, mathematics, and science and technology as a requirement for high school graduation.
Question 3 would enable drivers at rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to form unions for collective bargaining.
- Further reading: Question 3: What to know about the ballot measure that would allow rideshare drivers to unionize
Question 4 would legalize and regulate five natural psychedelics that proponents say show potential in mental health treatment. The proposed law would also allow adults to grow, use, and share those psychedelics at home.
Question 5 seeks to gradually phase out the $6.75 tipped minimum wage in Massachusetts and increase the minimum wage for tipped employees to meet the statewide standard.
- Further reading: Question 5: What voters need to know about the proposal to eliminate the tipped minimum wage
When will we know election results?
The vote-counting process can take some time.
“Massachusetts polls close at 8 p.m. ET and first votes come in quickly, but it often takes until after 11 p.m. ET to hit 50%,” the Associated Press reported. “The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap.”
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Exactly when we’ll know the winners of the presidential race depends on two factors, according to FiveThirtyEight: how close the election is and how quickly states are able to count their ballots.
Follow Boston.com’s live election results and coverage here.
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