Massachusetts Voters Can Now Apply Online For Mail-In Ballot

Voters Cast Ballots During Massachusetts Primary — A voter casts their ballot at a vote by mail dropbox at Boston City Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and outspoken progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez put their political clout to the test in a Massachusetts Democratic primary Tuesday that flips the usual battle lines between the partys establishment and left wings. Photographer: Scott Eisen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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September 23, 2020

Massachusetts voters no longer need to use the mail to apply to vote by mail.

Voters can now apply for a mail-in ballot for the November general election online at the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.

The option to vote by mail has been extended to all voters this year, due to health concerns over COVID-19. As part of the law passed in July that expanded mail-in voting for 2020, the state was required to offer voters the option to apply for a mail-in ballot online before the general election. That online portal launched today.

The state has twice mailed paper applications for mail-in ballots to registered voters. Voters can still return that application in the mail, or fill it out and drop it off at their local election office.

At least a million voters applied for mail-in ballots for the September primary, and more than 800,000 voted by mail.

While an application for a mail-in ballot can now be submitted online, ballots must still be returned by mail or in-person at a municipal dropbox or local election office.

The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 28. A spokesperson for the Secretary of the Commonwealth said they expect the ballots to be mailed to voters the first week in October.