Boston’s early voting period ends Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, at 5 p.m., and more than 39,000 city residents had already cast ballots for the Nov. 3 state election by early this week, according to figures the Boston Election Department released on Thursday, Oct. 29. The department said 39,352 ballots had come in by mail and at in-person early voting sites.
The city’s update also reminds voters that all 22 ballot drop boxes will close as early as 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and reopen by 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Boston Early Voting by the Numbers
- Registered voters in Boston: 443,178.
- In-person early votes: 10,083 as of Monday, Oct. 26.
- Mail and absentee ballots sent: 69,759, all of those requested.
- Mail ballots returned: 29,269 as of Sunday, Oct. 25.
- Total ballots received: 39,352, the city said.
- Precincts: 275, staffed by more than 2,002 trained poll workers.
- Language help: more than 483 poll workers who speak Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean, Russian or Portuguese.
By The Boston Report’s calculation from the city’s figures, the ballots received equal about 8.9% of registered voters, and about 42% of the mail ballots sent out had come back by Oct. 25. The two counts were taken on different days, so the share will rise as more returns are logged.
Where to Vote Early on Thursday and Friday
According to the city’s early voting page, any registered Boston voter may vote at any early voting site, with no excuse needed:
- Thursday, Oct. 29: City Hall’s Haymarket Room, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saint George Orthodox Church of Boston, 55 Emmonsdale Road, West Roxbury, and BCYF Hyde Park Community Center, 1179 River Street, both noon to 8 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 30: City Hall’s Haymarket Room only, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Voters who miss early voting can vote on Tuesday at their assigned polling place. The registration deadline passed on Oct. 24.
Mail Ballot Deadlines and Drop Boxes
The Election Department said voters who have not returned mail ballots should use one of the city’s 22 drop boxes or bring the ballot to the Election Department at City Hall. Drop boxes accept ballots until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3. Ballots mailed back must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrive by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. Mail ballots cannot be handed in at a polling place on Election Day, the city said.
During the weekend drop-box closure on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, voters can wait until the boxes reopen or deliver ballots to the Election Department in City Hall, Room 241. The state’s Track My Ballot tool shows whether a ballot has been received; the city advises voters who see no movement to vote in person on Election Day.
What’s on the Boston Ballot
Boston voters will choose a governor, a U.S. senator, members of the U.S. House and state legislators, and will decide nine statewide ballot questions, the Election Department said. The ballot has three double-sided cards, which voters feed into the tabulator one at a time.
The nine questions cover expanding the public records law to the Legislature and governor’s office (Question 1), union rights for public defender agency staff (Question 2), a single all-party primary (Question 3), Election Day voter registration (Question 4), a state revenue limit and rebate (Question 5), a conservation fund (Question 6), single-family homes on 5,000-square-foot lots (Question 7), ending retail sales of recreational marijuana (Question 8) and the 2024 state firearms law (Question 9). For what a yes or no vote would do on each, see our Massachusetts ballot questions explainer and our guide to the nonbinding ballot questions.
How Boston Will Count and Report Results
The city began processing early and mail ballots on Monday, Oct. 26, in Room 801 at City Hall. Ballots processed by 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 will be centrally tabulated, and other on-time ballots will be counted at a later date the city will announce, according to the department.
After polls close, unofficial results will be posted at boston.gov/election, though uploads may not begin until 10 p.m., the city said. Election-night totals will not include hand-counted ballots or mail ballots that arrive too late to be sent to precincts. The department expects to publish precinct-level unofficial results by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Our election night results timing guide covers when statewide races are likely to be called.
Sources
- City of Boston: Election Department Issues Reminders Ahead of Tuesday, November 3 State Election (updated Oct. 29, 2026)
- City of Boston: Early Voting in Boston
- City of Boston: 2026 State Election Ballot Questions
- Secretary of the Commonwealth: 2026 Information for Voters (PDF)
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