Boston Voters Gear Up for Today’s City Election — Here’s Everything You Need to Know

BOSTON — Boston residents are heading to the polls today, Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to cast their votes in the General Municipal Election, deciding who will serve as the city’s next Mayor and City Council — including nine district seats and four at-large councilors.

In Boston: Mayor Michelle Wu is the only mayoral candidate on the ballot, but there are a half dozen contested City Council races.

Candidates for at-large city councilor

Top Row: , L-R: Ruthzee Louijeune, Henry Santana, Marvin Mathelier, Julia Mejia Bottom Row: L-R: Will Onuoha, Erin Murphy, Alexandra Valdez, and Frank Baker.

• Julia Mejia 
• Ruthzee Louijeune 
• Henry Santana
• Alexandra Valdez 
• Will Onuoha
• Marvin Mathelier
• Erin Murphy
• Frank Baker

District 7: Following a close preliminary, two finalists — Said Ahmed and Miniard Culpepper — are vying for the Roxbury-centric seat vacated by former City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson.

Boston City Council District 7 candidates Said Ahmed, left, and Miniard Culpepper debated Thursday, Oct. 16. Photo: Matthew J. Lee

More than 430,000 registered voters across Boston’s 275 precincts are eligible to participate. Polls open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., giving voters a full day to make their voices heard.

What Voters Need to Know

Voters can double-check their registration status and polling location on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website before heading out. Ballots will be printed in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese, with interpreters available for several other languages upon request, including Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean, Russian, and Portuguese.

All polling locations are wheelchair accessible and equipped with AutoMark Voter Assist Terminals to help voters with disabilities mark their ballots independently.

Polling Location Change

Residents of Ward 3, Precinct 9 should note a new voting site:
West End Neighborhood Center, 75 Blossom Court (enter via Thoreau Path).
All other polling locations remain unchanged.

Vote-By-Mail and Ballot Drop Boxes

Of the 51,769 mail-in and absentee ballots sent out, 32,737 have already been returned. Voters who still have their ballots are urged to use one of the 22 secure drop boxes across the city or return them directly to City Hall by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Mail ballots cannot be returned to polling stations.

Voters can track their ballots online through the state’s “Track My Ballot” system. If a ballot hasn’t been received or processed, voters should plan to vote in person at their assigned polling location.

When Results Will Be Available

Once the polls close at 8:00 p.m., unofficial results will begin to roll in from across Boston. Election officials will first upload ballots cast in person, along with early voting and mail-in ballots counted at City Hall’s tabulation facility.

Ballots received late on Election Day (but still on time) and any hand-counted ballots will be processed after polls close.
Precinct-by-precinct results are expected by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

For Residents and Observers

Voters can expect a smooth process, with more than 1,900 trained poll workers — including 64 local high school students serving through the Student Poll Worker Program — ensuring fair and efficient voting throughout the day.

Members of the media and election observers must remain outside the designated voting areas and may not interact with voters inside polling places. Photography and video recording are allowed from outside the guardrail, though audio recording remains prohibited under state law.

As the city prepares for another high-turnout election, Boston residents once again have the opportunity to shape their local government and the future of their neighborhoods — one vote at a time. Polls are open until 8 p.m. See Boston.gov/elections for more information.