City of Boston Announces Early Voting Locations

Today, the Boston Election Department announced a reminder to voters that Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024, with early voting beginning October 19 through November 1. The City announced the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) and Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) will serve as early voting locations, along with several sites spread throughout the city’s neighborhoods. A list of locations can be found here. 

The State Election will determine the outcome of multiple state and federal races, including President and five statewide ballot questions. A sixth public policy question will appear in State Representative Districts 2, 10, and 14. Voters may read translations of the ballot questions into 11 different languages here. Voters may see a sample ballot by filling in their information here. 

Voters can update their voting status including party affiliation, new address, or name change until October 26 here. 

In-Person Early Voting

In-person early voting begins Saturday, October 19 and runs through Friday, November 1. All voters registered in the City of Boston are eligible to vote at any early voting site. City Hall is Boston's primary early voting site, with voting from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Voters are encouraged to enter City Hall through the Hanover Street entrance to access the early voting location on the second floor, Haymarket Room. 

Neighborhood early voting locations will be available throughout the city from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends (October 19-20 and 26-27), 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, (October 22 and 29), and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays (October 24 and 31). For a full list of early voting locations and dates and times, visit here.

All early voting sites are equipped with electronic poll books for voter check in. Early voting locations will be staffed with multilingual poll workers and over the phone interpretation. All sites are fully accessible to voters with disabilities, including electronic ballot marking devices at every location. For more information on accessible voting click here. 

The City of Boston is working with two prominent cultural institutions to serve as early voting sites. The Museum of Fine Arts and The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston will host early voting sites. These sites expand access to voting within the Fenway and Seaport neighborhoods and underscore Boston’s proud cultural sector and history of civic engagement. The ICA was an early voting site in 2022. This is the first time the MFA will serve as an early voting location.

“A museum at the intersection of contemporary art and civic life, the ICA is where Bostonians gather to share experiences, conversations and reflections on the ideas and issues of our time,” said Kelly Gifford, Deputy Director of the ICA.  “We are thrilled that the City of Boston has selected the ICA as an early voting location and welcome all registered Boston residents to visit the ICA for early voting this fall.”

“We’re proud to serve as an early voting location to support Bostonians as they fulfill their civic responsibility. We take our role as a resource for our community seriously, and hope that voters will also choose to spend time in our galleries to find inspiration during election season,” said Director of the MFA, Matthew Teitelbaum. “Art has played a role in shaping ideas about democracy for centuries, and we’ll have a new exhibition on view that will explore connections between past and present.”

The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston early voting site will be open on Tuesday, October 22 and Tuesday, October 29 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Museum of Fine Arts early voting site will be open on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Vote By Mail

Voters are encouraged to vote prior to Election Day through early voting or voting by mail. Registered voters may apply for a vote by mail ballot through the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website or by visiting the Election Department in room 241 at City Hall. Voting by mail allows voters to fill out their ballot at home on their own time and return their ballot through the mail or by placing it into one of many ballot boxes across the city. 

Ballots sent through the mail must be postmarked by Tuesday, November 5 and reach the Election Department by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 8, or Friday, November 15 if sent from outside the United States. Ballots returned directly to the Election Department by hand must be delivered by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. Likewise, ballot boxes will not accept any ballots after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. Voters are strongly encouraged to mail in or drop off ballots ahead of these deadlines.