Election Department Provides Reminders Ahead of State Primary, Issues Call for Poll Workers

Early voting will take place at sites throughout the City of Boston starting Saturday, August 22, through Friday, August 28.

The Boston Election Department is reminding voters that the State Primary will take place on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. This election will determine the candidates on the ballot in the upcoming State Election on Tuesday, November 3.

Poll Worker Recruitment

The Election Department is recruiting poll workers for the upcoming State Primary on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Poll workers are paid a stipend ranging from $160-200 in addition to payment for required training. Being a poll worker is a meaningful way to give back, participate in democracy, and help neighbors vote in elections. Residents can request to be assigned a location close to their home. Bilingual applicants are strongly encouraged. 

Residents can apply or get more information at boston.gov/pollworkers, by emailing the Election Department at pollworkers@boston.gov, or by calling 617-635-0905.

Voter Registration

The voter registration deadline for the State Primary on September 1 is Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Voters may register:

• In person: At the Boston Election Department, 1 City Hall Square, Room 241, Boston, MA 02201, by Saturday, August 22, by 5 p.m.
• Online: At voteinma.com by Saturday, August 22, 11:59 p.m.
• By mail: Registration forms must be postmarked by August 22

In-Person Early Voting

In-person early voting will run from Saturday, August 22 through Friday, August 28. Registered Boston voters can vote at any early voting location.

Boston City Hall will serve as the primary early voting site, with voting on:

• Monday, August 24, Wednesday, August 26, and Friday, August 28, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, August 25, and Thursday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Voters are encouraged to enter Boston City Hall using the North side entrance on Congress Street (across from the Haymarket T-Station).

Additional early voting locations are available in neighborhoods throughout the City on the following dates:

• Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
• Tuesday, August 25, and Thursday, August 27, from 12 – 8 p.m. 

All early voting sites are equipped with electronic poll books for voter check-in. Early voting locations will be well-staffed with poll workers and interpreters. All sites are fully accessible to voters with disabilities.

Vote-By-Mail Application

The vote-by-mail application deadline is Tuesday, August 25, at 5 p.m. Voters may apply for a vote by mail ballot through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website, by visiting the Election Department in room 241 at City Hall, or by mailing an application. Voters should not place applications in ballot drop boxes as this will delay processing.

Voters can track vote-by-mail or absentee ballot at trackmyballotma.com.

Accessible Voting

The Accessible Electronic Voting System allows voters who are unable to independently read, write, hold, or physically manipulate or mark ballots to submit their ballot via a secure electronic delivery system. Voters who qualify for an Accessible Electronic Ballot may apply online. The deadline to apply for an accessible ballot is Tuesday, August 25, at 5: p.m. To get access to the electronic ballot, voters will need to provide their email address.

Poll Pads Electronic Check-in

Poll Pads will be used to check-in voters at each Early Voting location. The voting process for voters remains the same: voters will check in with a poll worker, receive a paper ballot and envelope, mark their vote, seal it in the envelope, and return it to be counted on Election Day or processed in advance at an authorized facility.

Central Tabulation

On Monday, August 24, the City of Boston will begin processing mail-in and in-person early voting ballots cast in the State Primary for all 275 precincts. Ballots will be removed from their envelopes and fed into a tabulator at Boston City Hall, One City Hall Square, Room 801, Boston, MA 02201. 

Only ballots received prior to Friday, August 28, 2026, will be removed and deposited in Room 801.

Advance Processing Schedule

Ballot removal and processing will occur daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning on Monday, August 24 through Tuesday, September 1, 2026, with processing beginning at 7 a.m. on September 1 (if necessary) and continuing until all ballots have been processed.

• All ballots advance processed by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026, will be centrally tabulated.
• All other ballots received by 2 p.m. on Election Day (Tuesday, September 1, 2026) will be delivered to their respective precinct for processing.
• Ballots received after 2 p.m. on Election Day will be processed after the close of polls at 8 p.m., once the voter lists from each precinct have been received by the Election Department.

The list of precincts to be processed can be found on the public notice.

Media Guidelines

Where to stand: Members of the press must remain behind the guardrail. While many polling places are not equipped with a physical guardrail, the area within the “guardrail” encompasses the check-in table, the voting booths, and the ballot box. Only poll workers and voters should be within this area.

Interacting with voters and poll workers: Members of the press, like all other observers in the polling place, may not interact with voters while they are in the polling place. Further, observers who have questions about where they should stand and what they are allowed to do while observing should ask to speak to the warden. The warden may provide members of the press with information regarding their rights as observers.

Photography: Photography of the voting process in the polling place is permitted, though marked ballots may not be photographed. Photographers are allowed inside the polling place to photograph the area from outside the guardrail. The warden may instruct the photographer not to take photos of any marked ballots.

Video and audio recording: As with photography of the polling place, video recording of the polling place is allowed. Audio recording of the polling place is not permitted under state law. Anyone recording in the polling place must have the ability to record without capturing audio and should be instructed to do so by the warden. Those who are using electronic equipment may not use the electricity in the polling place to power their equipment.

Exit polling: Exit polling and interviews of voters are permitted outside, within 150 feet of a polling place, as long as it does not interfere with a person or voter on their way to an election. Only voters leaving the polling place may be stopped. Voter access to the polling place should not be impeded in any way.