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Too late to mail ballots in for Tuesday's election, Massachusetts official says

Too late to mail ballots in for Tuesday's election, Massachusetts official says
uh I think it's important to note that this will be an election once again where we have voted by mail and this will be a significant factor. I think it's important for me to go over what the rules are for vote by mail. As many of you know, the the approval for vote by mail in the municipal elections did not occur until quite late in the in the calendar year. As a result, many communities were late starting and getting their process going. So most voters had a deadline of last week to in fact it was the eighth to submit their applications at this particular point, were strongly recommending that if voters still have their ballot and they have chosen to vote by mail, they do not put it in the U. S. Postal service. Do not. It is important to know that any ballot that's cast by mail for this particular election being a preliminary election has to be received by 8:00 on election night. That is 8:00 tomorrow night. Therefore postmarks do not count. So it's very important that they in fact not put them in the mail if they've not already returned them. There are however, dropbox is located throughout the cities that are conducting elections and vote by mail. That the list of drop boxes can be found on my website. So, and obviously the same could be said at the local community website. The other option voters have is they can return the ballot directly to the local election office in their community. That will be the election commissioners office of the city clerk's office. What they cannot do is take it to the polling place, it cannot be dropped off at the in person vote in place. Um I think that's very important that voters know that that is not an option uh at this particular point, were strongly recommending that the drop boxes be used and that that will provide an opportunity to make sure these ballots are cast and received in a timely way. Um I think it's also important remember that voters can still vote in person, even if they have requested a vote by mail and have either chosen not to use it or it's too late for them to use it. They have the absolute right to vote by mayor about in person tomorrow at their usual polling place. If a voter has already cast a vote by mail ballot, they cannot vote in person. Even if they've changed their mind, if the ballot has been received, then they cannot be, that's it. The voter gets only one opportunity to participate. They will not be able to reverse their decision or change their decision by voting in person. If they're trying to determine whether they're about, in fact, has been received, then they should go to my website once again and I'm focused on the track my ballot website
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Too late to mail ballots in for Tuesday's election, Massachusetts official says
Massachusetts voters who have not yet mailed their ballot for municipal elections being held on Tuesday should either deliver it themselves or vote in person, the state's top elections official said Monday.Secretary of State William Galvin said the U.S. Postal Service informed his office that it needs "three to five days" to deliver ballots to local elections departments. Galvin warned that the remaining window of time is too short to guarantee any more mail-in votes will count. "Do not mail it if you have not mailed it," Galvin said Monday in his pre-election press conference. "My concern is, particularly if this ends up as a close election any place, but let's take Boston as an example — some of the polling suggests it could be close for the second nomination. If that's the case, the last thing we want is ballots that were mailed in good faith not counted," Galvin said. If a voter requested a mail-in ballot but has not already shipped it out, Galvin said they should either take it to a drop-off location or vote in person at their usual polling place. Under state law, mail-in ballots for Tuesday's municipal contests must be delivered by 8 p.m. to count. Status of your mail-in ballot? Use the track my ballot featureFifteen cities and towns will host preliminary elections on Tuesday, including the cities of Boston, Somerville and Lynn. In Boston, mayor Kim Janey, city councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu and former Boston chef of economic development John Barros are running for mayor. The top two vote-getters in that race will advance and face off in the Nov. 2 general election.Information from the State House News Service was used in this report.

Massachusetts voters who have not yet mailed their ballot for municipal elections being held on Tuesday should either deliver it themselves or vote in person, the state's top elections official said Monday.

Secretary of State William Galvin said the U.S. Postal Service informed his office that it needs "three to five days" to deliver ballots to local elections departments.

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Galvin warned that the remaining window of time is too short to guarantee any more mail-in votes will count.

"Do not mail it if you have not mailed it," Galvin said Monday in his pre-election press conference.

"My concern is, particularly if this ends up as a close election any place, but let's take Boston as an example — some of the polling suggests it could be close for the second nomination. If that's the case, the last thing we want is ballots that were mailed in good faith not counted," Galvin said.

If a voter requested a mail-in ballot but has not already shipped it out, Galvin said they should either take it to a drop-off location or vote in person at their usual polling place.

Under state law, mail-in ballots for Tuesday's municipal contests must be delivered by 8 p.m. to count.

Status of your mail-in ballot? Use the track my ballot feature

Fifteen cities and towns will host preliminary elections on Tuesday, including the cities of Boston, Somerville and Lynn.

In Boston, mayor Kim Janey, city councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu and former Boston chef of economic development John Barros are running for mayor.

The top two vote-getters in that race will advance and face off in the Nov. 2 general election.

Information from the State House News Service was used in this report.