VOTE Tuesday, November 5th – Charlestown Details

The time has come – don’t forget to vote!

Vote-By-Mail

Voters who planned to return their ballots by U.S. Mail and have not mailed their ballots within one week of Election Day are encouraged to return their ballots through other means, to ensure they will be counted. Ballot packages must be postmarked by November 5, 2024, and received by the Boston Election Department no later than 5:00 p.m. on November 8, 2024.

Vote-by-mail ballots may be returned using one of 23 drop boxes located throughout the City – Charlestown’s is located at the library, 79 Main Street, Charlestown, MA 02129. You can also drop them in person at the Boston Election Department located at City Hall Room 241; at an early voting location during the prescribed hours for voting; or via U.S. Mail.

Voters are asked to return all signed ballot packages, whether using a drop box or the U.S. Mail, in the white postage paid return envelope included with their vote-by-mail ballot. All ballots must reach the Election Department or a ballot box by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5th, or be delivered to the Election Department by 5 p.m. on Friday, November 8th if postmarked by November 5th. Ballots coming from outside the United States may arrive until 5 p.m. on Friday, November 15th if postmarked by November 5th.

Voters can track the status of their vote-by-mail ballots here. If there is no movement indicated in the “Track My Ballot” system, voters should plan to vote in-person on Election Day.

Voting On Election Day

Election Day is Tuesday, November, 5th. Polling locations open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. A list of polling locations can be found here.

Charlestown is Ward 2, which includes the locations below. Check your precinct here!

As a reminder, voters should check their registration status via the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website. Printed ballots will be available in English and Spanish. Chinese and Vietnamese ballots will be available where required. Language interpreters will also be available upon request. All voting locations are wheelchair accessible and are equipped with AutoMark Voter Assist Terminal for voters with visual or hearing impairments.

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 applied here. The deadline to apply for an accessible ballot was Monday, August 26, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Please note: To get access to the electronic ballot, you will need to provide your email address.

Unofficial Results

After polls close at 8:00 pm, the Election Department will receive and upload unofficial results of ballots counted at polling places as they are returned from each precinct. Poll workers need time to tally election results and transport materials from polling places to City Hall. Uploading of election results may not begin until after 10:00 p.m.

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.

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 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 5 that arrive at City Hall by November 8 at 5:00 pm for domestic mail;
• Ballots postmarked by November 5 that arrive at City Hall by November 15 at 5:00 pm for foreign mail.

Mail or absentee ballots that arrive on time at the Election Department as allowed by state law, will be counted at City Hall on a date determined by the Board of Election Commissioners.