Voting by mail in Massachusetts? Here’s how to request your ballot

With just one month until the general election, Bay Staters are also up against the clock to request their mail-in ballots.

Massachusetts residents technically have until Nov. 1 to apply to vote by mail, but Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office has encouraged people to “apply as early as possible, especially if your ballot will need to be mailed out of town.” Ideally, voters should apply two to three weeks before Election Day — which is Nov. 8 — to account for delays from the U.S. Postal Service.

Democrats are favorred to take the corner office, with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker not seeking a third term. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, the Democratic nominees for governor and lieutenant governor, have been outpacing Republican rivals Geoff Diehl and Leah Allen in polling.

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Voters can submit their application online here, as well as by mail, email or fax.

Download or print the 2022 vote-by-mail application here. To be valid, these applications need to include the voter’s signature.

Voters can return their ballots by mail, or by delivering them to their local election office, early voting location or a ballot drop box. Early voting spans Oct. 22 through Nov. 4.

People who return their ballot in person or via drop box must do so by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

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“Ballots returned by mail from inside the United States must reach your local election office by 5 p.m. on November 12, 2022 in order to be counted,” Galvin’s office states. “Mailed ballots received after 8 p.m. on Election Day can only be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day.”

Voters can check the status of their ballot, including whether it was accepted or rejected, on this tracker tool.

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People who applied to vote by mail still have the option to vote in person — either during early voting or on Election Day, Galvin’s office notes. But there’s a caveat.

“You can’t vote in person if your ballot has been accepted by your local election office,” Galvin’s office states. “You can’t take your ballot back or vote again.”