City of Boston Issues Reminders Ahead of 2022 State Election

The City of Boston’s Election Department is reminding voters that the upcoming State Election will take place on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Polling locations across the City open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.

The City previously announced the addition of 20 new voting precincts, following the Boston Election Precinct Adjustment Plan completed in October 2021, which aimed to increase voting accessibility by distributing voters equitably across precincts. The number of voting precincts has now increased from 255 to 275. As a result, the City of Boston is advising voters that they may experience a change in their precinct and polling location. Voters can find their polling location here.

The Elections Department has been conducting outreach to ensure that residents are aware of any change to their polling location ahead of the election. Voters can also check their registration status via the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website to find their election day polling location.

General Information

Unofficial Results

After polls close at 8 p.m., the Election Department will receive and upload unofficial results of ballots counted at polling places as they are returned from each precinct.

The initial results reported on the website on election night will include:

Ballots cast in person on election day;
Early voting and mail-in ballots, including those from precincts being centrally tabulated at the City Hall central tabulation facility. More information about central tabulation can be found here.

The unofficial results uploaded to www.boston.gov/election on election night will not include the following groups of ballots:

Mail and absentee ballots that arrive on time on election day, but are received too late to be sent to polling locations to be counted;
Ballots retrieved from the drop boxes at 8:00 p.m. on Election Night;
Ballots postmarked by November 8, 2022 and that arrive at City Hall by November 12, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. for domestic mail;
Ballots postmarked by November 8, 2022 and that arrive at City Hall by November 18, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. for international mail.

Mail or absentee ballots that arrive on time at the Election Department, but are received too late to be sent to polling locations, will be counted at City Hall on a date to be determined by the Board of Election Commissioners at an open meeting that will be publicly noticed after November 18, 2022 and will be completed prior to November 23, 2022 when election results need to be certified.

For this election, residents will see a new mobile-friendly and more interactive unofficial elections results page.

Ballot Drop Boxes

Voters who requested a vote by mail or absentee ballot are encouraged to return their ballots early to ensure that they are counted. Voters are able to drop their mail-in ballot at any of the 21 ballot drop boxes the Elections Department has placed around the City, including at both the first and third floor entrances of Boston City Hall. All drop boxes are monitored under 24 hour video surveillance. To find a ballot drop box location, visit here. Voters can track their ballot through the state's website.

Ballots can not be delivered to a polling location on election day.

Voters may drop their ballots into a drop box until 8 p.m. on November 8, 2022. Ballots that are returned by U.S. mail and are postmarked by November 8, 2022 must be received by the Election Department by November 12, 2022.

On the Ballot

The November 8, 2022 State Election will include candidates for the following offices in addition to four statewide ballot questions: Representative in Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Governor's Council, State Senator, State Representative, District Attorney, and Sheriff.

Voting on Election Day

Polling locations for the State Election will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Ballots will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Language assistance will be available on Election Day by interpreters at polling locations or by contacting the Election Department’s interpreters phone bank. Those interested in volunteering can apply to be a poll worker here.

For more information on how to participate in this year's elections, please visit boston.gov/election.

Media Guidelines

Where to Stand

Like all observers, 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. Observers who have questions about where they should stand and what they are allowed to do while observing should ask to speak to the polling location’s warden. The warden will 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.

Video & Audio Recording

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. Those who are using electronic equipment may not use the electricity in the polling place to power their equipment.