Updated November 3, 2026 at 9:33 AM EST
Polls are open in Massachusetts, giving voters a final chance to cast their ballot in the midterm elections.
Across the country, the focus is on a few key races that could shift the balance of power on Capitol Hill. But in blue Massachusetts, polls suggest there won’t be an upset among the congressional delegation.
This year’s ballot features races for the governor’s seat and other executive offices. Gov. Maura Healey and her Democratic administration are running for reelection against Republican Mike Minogue.
Voters are also deciding how they feel about nine — yes, nine — different ballot questions. (If you need more information on these measures to help you make up your mind, check out WBUR’s explainers or videos on each of them.)
Eugene Normandin was among the voters casting their ballots in Jamaica Plain this morning. A kindergarten teacher originally from the Philippines, Normandin became a citizen four years ago. She said she felt happy to be able to vote and participate in the electoral process.
“I feel like I talk to my students about this a lot, of how important it is to to use your voice and to make sure that you’re showing up,” said Normandin, standing outside her polling place at the Margarita Muñiz Academy.
She said the ballot questions were top of mind when heading to the polls today.
“There’s so many this year, I felt like I kept having to read up on it,” Normandin said.
While Massachusetts’ election doesn’t have the same “intensity” as other states, Secretary of State Bill Galvin said there’s “a certain frustration with government” as evidenced by the high number of ballot questions.
At the polls
Coloring in the bubbles next to your choices will take a little longer this year because of the multi-card ballots. So, make sure to flip your ballot card over so you didn’t miss anything. But don’t worry, this isn’t a high school test — you could bring notes in with you behind the polling curtain. Galvin encourages tearing out the checklist at the end of this year’s informational red book for reference. He said voters have the right to take the time they need to confidently fill out their ballots.
Lina Fries of Lowell took what she called a “cheat sheet” with her to help keep the ballot questions straight. She called the number of questions on the ballot “ridiculous.”
“I thought it was overwhelming, and I hope it doesn’t put off people from voting,” she said.
Despite the long ballot, Fries said the voting process was smooth and hopes people get out to vote.
OK, all filled out and ready to slot your ballot into the tabulator? State officials ask for patience. Putting multiple cards in at once, or putting the second card in too quickly after the first could cause the tabulators to jam. Galvin said poll workers will be on hand to assist.
“There are very practical logistical problems,” he told WBUR. “The fail-safe here, of course, is that the ballot cards will be retained. So if there were a close race for anything, whether it’s a candidate race or a ballot question, the cards can be physically hand-counted.”
Galvin said the elections department has noticed during early in-person voting that the process is a slower than usual. That also means tallying up the votes will likely take longer on Tuesday night.
Journalists and political experts have been saying this for a few years now, but it bears repeating: election night isn’t what it used to be. Results — especially for the national congressional races — may not come in until Wednesday or later. The slower speed doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Our colleagues at NPR broke down why some states are slower to report their election results.
If you’re not registered to vote yet: sorry, it’s too late. But, if your fellow Massachusetts residents approve of Question 4, same-day voter registration will be allowed for the next state election.
Polls in Massachusetts are open until 8 p.m. If you’re in line at that time, officials say to stay in line until you can cast your ballot.
Voters in Massachusetts do not have to show identification unless they’re in certain situations, like voting for the first time in the state or if they’re on an inactive voter list.
If you require assistance at the voting booth, you have the right to request it under Massachusetts law. There are accessible voting booths as well as accessible ballot marking devices that can read, translate and mark ballots. Speak with the poll worker at your station if you need help.
Watching the vote
Be aware that there will be federal election monitors in at least two Massachusetts cities: Boston and Lowell. According to Galvin’s office, it’s common for election monitors to be in those two cities because they each have a particular set of requirements for multilingual ballots.
Along with federal monitors, citizen monitors also post up at some polling locations. Marilu Swett, a monitor from Jamaica Plain with the nonpartisan Election Protection organization, was standing outside the Margarita Muñiz Academy Tuesday morning. She volunteered to be a poll monitor this year along with her husband.
“It’s general eyes and ears on the ground,” she said, describing her role. “It’s been a wonderful education process for me, to understand a little bit more about how the polls function.”
Swett said her task this morning is to answer questions from voters and flag if there are any issues with the polling location.
Today may be the official Election Day, but at least 22% of registered voters in Massachusetts have already cast their ballot by mail or during the early voting period, according to the secretary of state’s office.
Galvin noted there’s been a “dramatic increase“ in early in-person voting. During this election’s early voting period, 347,346 residents cast ballots. In the 2022 state election, only 188,175 voters took advantage of early voting, Galvin said.
“The significance of the in-person, I think, is it speaks to the desire of voters to have the opportunity to vote on the questions slowly or at least take as much time as they need,” Galvin said.
He added that the higher turnout during early voting may mean less voters at the polls on Election Day.
If you’ve opted to vote by mail, here’s a few things to note:
- For the anxious early birds: If you sent in your vote via mail or slid it in an official drop box, check out the state’s Track My Ballot tool to make sure your ballot was received. If you find out on that your ballot hasn’t arrived, or has been rejected by accident, you could still go to your local polling station to vote in person. (And don’t worry, if you cast your ballot in person, and then your mail-in ballot arrives a few days later, the elections office will discard the second one so no one’s vote counts twice.)
- For the procrasti-voters: Your ballot needs to be postmarked today (Tuesday, Nov. 3), and received by Friday, Nov. 6 to be counted. However, if you realize your ballot is sitting on your coffee table right now, it’s a good idea to bring it to an official ballot drop box instead of mailing it.
As the election comes to a close tonight, WBUR will be reporting results live for state and national races. Come back to wbur.org for up-to-date returns and tune into 90.9 FM on your radio or through the WBUR Listen app for live special coverage starting at 8 p.m.
With reporting from WBUR’s Bianca Garcia and Miriam Wasser.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2026 WBUR