Voting in MA 101: Important Dates and Info for the Upcoming Election

This week we’re taking a small break from our Action Items for Allies Blog series to bring you a relevant topic: Voting! 

Last month, we hosted a forum called Speak Up, Speak Out. During the forum, the panelists discussed the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Protesting, Allyship, and Voting.

For this post, we’re going to talk about Voting. 

Why Vote

Voting is how American citizens can make their voices heard. Your vote is your voice! But don’t just take our word for it. 

According to the National LGBT Task Force, there are an estimated 10 million LGBTQ citizens over the age of 18 who are possibly eligible to participate in the 2020 election. If everyone votes, that can make an incredible impact. 

100 million Americans did not vote at the last election: That’s almost a third of the population! 

How to Vote

You can vote via Mail, Online, or at the Polls (see links below!): Early Voting is October 17th to 30th, so make sure to get your vote in. It’s also important to mention that there won’t be any voting on College Campuses this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, so make sure to check your polling location or here to check your registration status.

J. Cottle from MassVOTE offered up these useful links during the forum:

• Register to Vote
• While the deadline to request a mail in ballot has passed, you can Track Your Mail in Ballot here. 

Important Voting Dates: 

Election day is Nov. 3 – this will be the busiest day, so plan ahead! 

Registration deadlines

Online: Oct. 24
By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 24
In person: Oct. 24

Absentee ballot deadlines

Request: Received by Oct. 28 by 5:00 p.m.
Return by mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3
Return in person: Nov. 3 by close of polls

Early voting

Oct. 17 – Oct. 30, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live. Find out more here! 

Happy Voting!