Important Vote-by-Mail update!
Do NOT Return your Vote-by-Mail Ballot by Postal Mail
Secretary Galvin urges you to hand deliver your ballot.
Due to the significant mail delays and the many Vote-by-Mail applications overwhelming local election offices, you have run out of time to initiate Vote-by-Mail for the Massachusetts Primary. By now, the processing and ballot return time will not be sufficient for your local election office to actually receive your completed ballot via mail by the 8pm, September 1, deadline.
If you applied for a Vote-by-Mail ballot, whether you have received it or not, you have two best choices now:
- When you receive your ballot, fill it out, and drop it off in person at your local election office or early in-person voting location (early in-person voting closes August 28). Don’t rely on mail delivery at this late date.
- Use early in-person voting instead, which, for the MA primary, will run from Saturday, Aug. 22, until Friday, Aug. 28. Check with your local election office for times and locations. Your town or city may offer several drop-off locations. As long as your Vote-by-Mail ballot has not been sent or dropped off, you may use early in-person voting.
“Ballots can be returned to early voting sites, ballot drop boxes, and local election offices. Voters this year have more options for returning their ballots than ever before.” Secretary Galvin, Boston Globe, “Haven’t mailed in your ballot yet? Galvin urges you to hand deliver it“
Local Election Offices:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleev/ev-find-my-election-office.htm
Early In-Person Voting locations:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/earlyvotingweb/earlyvotingsearch.aspx
Early Voting Locations in Boston for the 2020 Primaries:
https://www.boston.gov/news/early-voting-locations-boston-2020-primaries
Track your Ballot:
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/track/trackmyballot.aspx
Are you registered? (Registration for MA primary closes Aug. 22; for the general election, Oct. 24.)
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/voterregistrationsearch/myvoterregstatus.aspx
Speak with your State Legislators
The Massachusetts Legislature wrote and enacted the Vote-by-Mail legislation before any knowledge of mail disruption was evident, so little can be done to extend the Primary cutoff dates at this point. You can, however, call or email your state representative or state senator and explain your concerns. They wrote the Vote-by-Mail legislation, they need to hear constructive feedback from you about your experience. And it may be possible to amend the legislation before the November 3 general election.
Find my legislator:
https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator
More information
Our earlier Vote-By-Mail post, including alternatives:
http://artistsunderthedome.org/malc/calls-to-action/your-2020-vote-by-mail-guide/
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