Massachusetts polls open at 7 a.m. for nine statewide races

Voters in Massachusetts will step into assigned polling places at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections. Polls will remain open until 8 p.m. that same day. The state is deciding a record-tying nine statewide races, including contests for governor and U.S. Senate.

The path to the voting booth is determined by home address rather than choice. When residents register to vote, the state mails a notice indicating their specific precinct and polling location. If a voter is unsure of their assignment, they can enter their residential address into online tools to locate the correct site. Massachusetts does not allow voters to cast ballots at any polling place within their county; they must go to the specific site tied to their home address.

The window for last-minute registration closed on Saturday, October 24. Under current rules, a resident cannot register to vote on Election Day. However, if Question 4 passes in this year's election, eligible citizens would gain the right to register or update their voter registration address at their polling place on Election Day.

For those who opted to vote by mail, the application had to reach local election officials by 5 p.m. on the fifth business day before the election. In the days leading up to Election Day, mail-in ballots were accepted at local election offices or early voting locations during standard voting hours. Voters who received their ballots can still drop them off before polls close.

To be counted, a mail-in ballot must reach the local election office or be placed in a designated drop box by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Ballots cannot be dropped off directly at polling places on Election Day. Instead, voters must use a drop box. A list of available drop boxes is maintained on the Secretary of State's website.

There is a limited grace period for ballots that are mailed rather than dropped off. If a mail-in ballot is postmarked by Election Day, it will still be counted if it arrives within three days after polls close. Voters who rely on the postal service should ensure their envelopes are postmarked by Tuesday to qualify for this extension.

The election covers multiple levels of government and ballot measures. Voters will select candidates for the nine open statewide seats and decide on pending questions. The process requires precision, as the state links each voter to a single geographic unit for casting their ballot.