RI & MA Voting Information

1. State of Rhode Island Board of Elections:

Please note: After August 18th the Statewide Primary application period will be closed contact your local town or city hall to apply for an emergency ballot. After October 13th the General Election application period will be closed contact your local town or city hall to apply for an emergency ballot.

How do I apply for a Mail Ballot?

Before you can receive your mail ballot you must first be a registered voter.

If you would like to register to vote please complete a Voter Registration Form, visit: Voter Registration . Military and overseas voters may also register to vote and request a mail ballot using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) http://sos.ri.gov/elections/voters/overseas/

Once you have registered to vote you must submit a mail ballot application. You must complete a mail ballot application for each individual election you wish to vote in. To obtain a mail ballot application you can…

• Download one from the RI Secretary of States website http://sos.ri.gov/elections/forms/

• Pick up, or have someone pick up an application at your local board of Canvassers

• Call your local board and have them send you an application

Mail ballot applications must be filled out completely and received by your local board no later than 4:00 P.M. on the 21st day before the election or primary in which you wish to vote. Please note that the application has to be physically at the local board by 4:00 P.M. on the deadline. Postmarked applications received after the deadline will not be accepted. Local Boards will not be responsible if you fail to deliver a properly completed application by the deadline. For mailing addresses for BOC's please reference the list of Boards of Canvassers.

If circumstance arises within 20 days of the primary or election which prevent you from going to the polls on Election Day, you will be able vote an emergency mail ballot. Emergency Mail Ballot

More on voting by mail

Mail Ballots

Learn more about voting in Rhode Island here.

2. Massachusetts Secretary of State

Registering to Vote

You may submit an application to register or pre-register to vote in Massachusetts if:

• You are a citizen of the United States; and

• You are 16 years old; and

• You are not currently incarcerated by reason of a felony conviction.

If you meet the above requirements, you may apply online, by mail, or in-person.

The deadline to register to vote in any election or regular town meeting is twenty (20) days prior to the date of the election or meeting. The deadline to register to vote in a special town meeting is ten (10) days prior to the special town meeting.

NOTE: For all 2020 elections, the deadline to register to vote will be 10 days before the date of the election.

Registering Online:

In order to register to vote online, you must have a signature on file with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. If you currently have a Massachusetts driver's license or state ID card, you may use the online voter registration application to register, update your address, or change your party affiliation. Voter registration forms submitted online must be submitted by midnight on the date of the voter registration deadline.

Registering by Mail:

If you do not qualify to register to vote online, or if you would prefer to register by mail, you may download the voter registration form by using the link provided in the box to the right. The form must be completed, signed, and delivered to your local election official. Voter registration forms submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than the voter registration deadline.

Registering In-person:

If you would like to register in-person, you may do so at any local election office, as well as the Elections Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office. Voter registration is also available at the Registry of Motor Vehicles and at certain public assistance agencies. Voter registration forms completed in-person are valid as of the day that they are signed.

Automatic Voter Registration:

If you are a U.S. citizen applying for or renewing a driver's license or state ID at the RMV, or applying for health insurance through MassHealth or the Commonwealth Health Connector, you will be automatically registered to vote, unless you opt out of registering.

If you opt out of registering to vote, or if your citizenship has not been confirmed by the RMV, MassHealth, or the Health Connector, you will not be registered to vote. If you do not opt out and your citizenship is confirmed, your name, address, and date of birth will be sent to your local election official to be added to the voter list and you will receive mailed confirmation of your registration within 2-3 weeks.

Learn more about automatic voter registration.

Changing Your Address

You must update your voter registration every time you move. If you have moved, you may update your registration by filling out a new voter registration form. If you move after the deadline to register to vote in a state election or primary, you should wait to update your registration until after the date of the election or primary, and return to vote at your previous polling place in Massachusetts. State law allows you to vote from a previous address in a state election for up to six month after you have moved, as long as you have not registered elsewhere.

Political Parties

If you wish to change your party enrollment, you may do so by filling out a new voter registration form. Members of political parties may vote only in their own party's primary elections. Unenrolled voters (commonly referred to as "Independents") and members of political designations or minor parties may vote in the party primary of their choice. Choosing to vote in a particular party's primary does NOT enroll you as a member of that party.

A full list of political parties and designations may be found here.

Identification Requirements

Certain voters must submit a copy of their identification with their voter registration or present it at their polling place on Election Day. For more information on identification requirements, please see our page on Identification Requirements.

Pre-registering to Vote

Though you must be 18 years old in order to vote, you may pre-register to vote once you are 16 years old. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may submit a voter registration form to your local election official, who will then place your name on the list of pre-registrants. You will receive a pre-registration notice by mail, confirming receipt of your application. Pre-registration may be done online, by mail, or in person at any voter registration location (see above).

Once you become old enough to vote, your local election will mail you an acknowledgement notice, which is confirmation that your name has been moved from the list of pre-registrants to the list of registered voters. Your acknowledgement notice will include your party affiliation and the location of your polling place.

It is important to keep your local election official informed of any changes to your information. You must submit a new voter registration form if you wish to change your name, address, mailing address, or political affiliation.

Learn more about voting in Massachusetts here.