Massachusetts

Welcome to the Massachusetts state page! Here, Massachusetts organizers can access and document ongoing projects, current leadership positions, upcoming races, and other important information. This list is non-exhaustive, and state teams are encouraged to expand and adapt these pages to their organizing needs.

Political Landscape of Massachusetts

Partisan Composition of Massachusetts

Overall, Massachusetts is considered a deep blue state, with a Cook PVI of D+15 as of 2022, regularly voting for Democrats by 60-70% in statewide races. Their entire federal delegation, 2 US Senators and 9 US House Representatives, as well as governorship, are all Democrats. Massachusetts also has Democratic supermajorities in their State house (134-1-24, 1 vacancy) and State senate (36-4) as of 1/31/24.

Progressive Outlook for Massachusetts

The overall progressive strategy for Massachusetts is very optimistic. Progressives have scored minor victories here already with universal school lunches for children and no-cost calls for prisoners, and unlike many eastern states, citizen-led ballot initiatives are alive and well. Democrats have a supermajority trifecta, so it is very possible that MA will be the first state to implement single-payer healthcare. The most major issue for progressives here are fiscally-conservative Democrats such as governor Maura Healey and speaker Ronald Mariano, and there are very few progressive legislators in the state legislature. As such, participating in the Democratic primaries are absolutely vital here in 2024.

Get Involved

Register to Vote in Massachusetts

Massachusetts/Voting

Progressive Organizations in Massachusetts

Below is a non-exhaustive list of progressive organizations in Massachusetts, ranked by size and subjective quality. These organizations come with a practical, electoral focus and usually endorse candidates for local races and state representatives who are progressive. Organizations lower down the list are either smaller, with lower standards for who they endorse, or else see liberals or Democrats as their enemy and refuse to work with them altogether when they will necessarily make up the votes for any progressive candidate or legislation and thus shouldn't be supported, but nonetheless qualify as left-wing. Feel free to add to this list with any additions you can think of!

Progressive Massachusetts Progressive Massachusetts is one of, if not the largest progressive organizations in Massachusetts. They have a voting tracker that measures how progressive each state representative and senator is, and this tool is extremely useful in gauging whether a primary challenge would be worth it. They have a newsletter which regularly gives updates on progressive priorities and legislation, such as the recent wins for permanent free school lunches and no-cost calls for prisoners.

Incorruptible Massachusetts Incorruptible Mass is also a very reputable progressive organization who was directly responsible for electing Sam Montaño to the 15th Suffolk district state house in 2022 as well as putting forward a slate of around a dozen candidates for various state representative races who gave the incumbents a serious run for their money! They have an informative podcast talking about progressive issues and strategies as well.

Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts The Green-Rainbow party of Massachusetts is a branch of the federal Green party. They are worth checking out as they occasionally run local candidates who are wholeheartedly progressive, but I cannot recommend supporting their statewide candidates from an electoral perspective until Massachusetts passes ranked-choice voting and they become viable. Below is a list of progressive organizations in Massachusetts. If you see a state organization that isn't on this list, please add it.

Notable Campaigns in 2024

Feel free to add candidates here for the 2024 election cycle as they're announced! Democratic primaries in this state are especially-important, so please keep this in mind when thinking of additions.

Run for Local Office

An underrated way to impact change is to run for a local position! Please feel free to add information on doing so below.

Massachusetts Voting

Who can Register to Vote?

You can register to vote in Massachusetts if you are:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of Massachusetts
• 18 years or older
• Not currently incarcerated because of a felony conviction.

You can register to vote online, by mail, or in person.

You can pre-register to vote in Massachusetts if you are:

• A U.S. citizen.
• A resident of Massachusetts.
• 16 or 17 years old.
• Not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.

You may pre-register to vote by submitting a voter registration form. You can submit it online, by mail, or in person. You’ll receive confirmation of your pre-registration by mail. When you turn 18 you will be added to the voter list.

The deadline to register to vote is 10 days before an election or town meeting. If you become a citizen after the deadline, you can register to vote at your local election office until 4pm before election day. Make sure your naturalization ceremony takes place during the voter registration deadline.

Register Online

If you have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can register online here on the Massachusetts Secretary page. You can also pre-register, update your address, update your name, and change your political party designation.

Voter registration forms submitted online must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date of the voter registration deadline.

ID Requirements You may need to show identification when you check-in at your polling place if:

• You are voting for the first time in Massachusetts
• You’re on the inactive voter list
• You're casting a provisional or challenged ballot
• The poll worker has a practical and legal reason to ask for identification

Identification needs to show your name and the address where you are registered to vote. Examples of acceptable identification are:

• A driver's license
• A state ID card
• A recent utility bill
• A rent receipt or lease.
• A copy of a voter registration affidavit
• A letter from a school dormitory or housing office
• Any other printed identification which contains your name and address

Ways to Register

You can register or pre-register to vote with a mail-in voter registration form. Print, fill out, and sign the voter registration form. Mail the signed form to your local election office. Your voter registration form must be postmarked by the voter registration deadline.

If you are registering to vote in Massachusetts for the first time, you should include a copy of identification that shows your name and address with your form. If you don’t include a copy of your ID, you may need to show it the first time you vote.

Register In-Person

You can register or pre-register to vote in person.

In Massachusetts, you can register to vote in-person at:

• Your local town clerks, election commission, and Boards of Registrars.
• The Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth Elections Division.
• The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s regional offices.

Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid on the day that they are signed.

In Massachusetts, there are certain places where you can be automatically registered to vote. Those places are:

• Apply for or renew your driver’s license at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
• Apply for or renew a learner's permit.
• Apply for or renew a state ID.
• Apply for MassHealth benefits online, in person, or by phone.
• Apply for health insurance through the Commonwealth Health Connector.

If you go to any of the locations again if you move, you can reapply. You should still register when you move. You cannot opt out of automatic voter registration. When you received the email, please ask to be removed from the voter’s list. If you do not complete the health insurance, you will not be registered to vote. You are enrolled as an “Independent”.

Ways to Vote

Voting by Mail

You do not need an excuse to vote-by-mail in Massachusetts. If you want to apply you can do so online, in person, by mail or by fax.

Typed signatures on applications cannot be accepted, unless you are a voter who requires accommodations due to physical disability. If you are unable to sign your application or mark your ballot by hand due to a disability, visit our page about voting with disabilities for information on requesting an accommodation.

Absentee ballots can be requested in the same manner as early Vote by Mail ballots, using the Absentee Ballot application.

Any mail-in ballot must be requested in writing by 5 p.m. on the 5th business day before the election. Your application can only be accepted if it has reached your local election office by the deadline.

Apply as early as possible, especially if your ballot will need to be mailed out of town. The U.S. Postal Service recommends allowing up to 7 days for mail delivery. To ensure you receive your ballot with enough time to mail it back, you should apply 2-3 weeks before Election Day.

Returning your Ballot

There are several options for returning your ballot. You may return your ballot by:

• Mailing it back using the envelope provided
• Hand-delivering your ballot to your local election office
• Dropping your ballot off at an early voting location during early voting hours
• Using a ballot drop box provided by your city or town

Ballots cannot be dropped off at a polling place on Election Day.

Ballots must reach your local election office by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted.

Use our Track My Ballot tool to check the status of your ballot. The tracker will show you the date your ballot was mailed, the date it was returned, and whether your ballot was accepted or rejected.

Voting in Person

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for all state primaries and elections. Cities and towns are allowed to open their polling places as early as 5:45 a.m. Polling hours will vary by community for municipal elections. If you’re in line when the polls close, you will still be able to vote.

You can still vote in person if you’ve applied to vote by mail. You can vote at an early voting location or your polling place on Election Day.

You cannot vote in person if your ballot has been accepted by your local election office. You can’t take your ballot back or vote again. Use our website to track your ballot status. If your ballot hasn’t been accepted by Election Day, you may vote in person at your polling place. If your ballot arrives at your local election office after you’ve voted, the mail-in ballot will be rejected.

Local Elections

State law allows cities and towns to opt out of no-excuse early voting by mail in local elections. A city or town can only opt out of Vote by Mail for a local election after the city council or board of selectmen hold a public hearing and take a recorded vote to do so at least 45 days before the election.

If your community opts out of Vote by Mail for your local election, a Vote by Mail application will not be valid for that election. Check with your local election office about whether your community has opted out of Vote by Mail in an upcoming local election.