Missed absentee voting this election? Prepare for 2026 midterms

By Eva Rivera

Boston University News Service

If you can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, there are still ways to exercise the right to vote. You are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot if:

If you are a registered Massachusetts voter:

• Are going to be out of town on Election Day
• Have a disability preventing you from casting a ballot at your voting location
• Can’t vote at the polls due to religious beliefs

If you are a non-registered voter:

• Are a Massachusetts citizen, but won’t be in the state
• Are an active member of the military (including family members dependent on someone who is serving)
• Are in prison or jail for a non-felony conviction

There are two ways to apply for an absentee ballot. 

By mail:

1. Fill out the application:

• Absentee Ballot Application (English) / Solicitud oficial Para Votar En Ausencia (Español)
• Absentee Ballot Application (English) / Đơn Xin Lá Phiếu Vắng Mặt Chính Thức (Tiếng Việt)
• Absentee Ballot Application (English) / 官⽅缺席選票申請 (中文)

2. Mail the application to:

• Boston Election Department

1 City Hall Square, Room 241

Boston, MA 02201

3. After receiving your absentee ballot, mail it to the address on a postage-paid envelope. You can track your ballot through the state’s website. 

If you plan to return your ballot in person, there are dedicated drop boxes around the city. The two closest drop boxes near campus are located in:

• Boston Public Library (Central Branch – McKim Building): 700 Boylston St., Back Bay, MA 02116 
• Boston City Hall (3rd floor and Congress Street): 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

In person: 

Visit the Boston Election Department at: 

1 City Hall Square, Room 241, Boston, MA 02201. 

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Note: You have until noon the business day before the election to vote in person.

At the office:

1. Fill out the absentee ballot application. 
2. Complete your absentee ballot

If you can make it to the polling locations this Election Day, there are two polls on campus. The polls will be open on November 4th from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

• Kilachand Hall (Room 101): 91 Bay State Road
• Life Science and Engineering Building (Conference Room 103): 24 Cummington Mall