All voters can vote early by mail with no excuse needed - click here!
Absentee vs. Early Voting
The two systems overlap in many ways, but the most important difference is that absentee voters must have an excuse (listed below), while there is no excuse needed for early voting by mail. Most voters who qualify for an absentee ballot can choose instead to apply for an early Vote by Mail ballot.
There may still be certain circumstances when it would be appropriate to apply for an absentee ballot instead of an early ballot. You should complete an absentee ballot application if you are:
- A military voter on active duty;
- A Massachusetts citizen residing outside of the United States;
- A voter living in a designated health care facility;
- A voter who has been admitted to the hospital within 1 week of the election;
- A voter who is incarcerated.
Absentee Ballot Eligibility
You can vote by absentee ballot if any of the following applies:
- You will be absent from Cambridge on election day during polling hours;
- You have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place;
- You cannot vote at the polls due to religious belief.
Voting Absentee By Mail
Absentee ballots must be requested in writing. The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on the 5th business day before an election.
You can request a ballot by either filling out the application form or by sending a signed request to the Election Office that includes:
- Your name;
- The address where you are registered to vote;
- The address where you want the ballot to be sent;
- The election(s) for which you need an Absentee Ballot.
- YOUR SIGNATURE
If you are an unenrolled voter seeking to vote in a primary, you must indicate the party ballot that you want to vote.
A family member of a person qualified to vote by Absentee Ballot may apply for that person. In addition to the above information, family members must also include their name and relationship to the voter.
Click here for absentee ballot application
You can send your application or request to the Election Commission by mail, fax, or by scanning and emailing it (the application/request must be signed):
Election Commission
51 Inman Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
Fax: 617-349-4366
Email: elections2@cambridgema.gov
If you are emailing your application, you may either scan or take a photo of your signed application, or you may sign your application using a mouse, finger, or stylus. Attached the application as a pdf or jpg. Typed signatures are not acceptable.
If you are blind or have a vision impairment, have a mobility or dexterity disability, or have another disability that makes it difficult for you to mark a paper ballot, you can request an accessible vote by mail ballot. You must include in your application or letter a statement saying that you need to use an accessible vote by mail ballot as an accommodation due to a disability that prevents you from marking a paper ballot. To access the accessible vote by mail system, you must provide an email address. You can apply for an accessible vote by mail ballot using the online portal or the PDF form.
Voting Absentee in Person
Absentee Ballots are available for over-the-counter voting at the Cambridge Election Office at least twenty days before each election. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot voted over-the-counter is noon the day before the election. If the day before the election is a holiday, the deadline is 5 pm the business day before the election. Please call the election commission at 617-349-4361 to find out if absentee ballots are available in the Election Commission Office. Please note that during the Early Voting Period, voters can vote in-person at Early Voting Locations.
Voting by Military and Overseas Citizens
To apply for an absentee ballot from overseas, please use the federal postcard application. You will need to apply once every calendar year that you are interested in voting. Ballots are available online or by mail.
Members of the Uniformed Services and U.S. Citizens who reside overseas are covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). In Massachusetts, UOCAVA citizens are considered “specially qualified voters” and voter registration is waived. UOCAVA citizens are eligible to vote in all elections in Massachusetts by requesting absentee ballots. For more information, please visit https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/voting-information/military-and-overseas-voters.htm
Emergency Absentee Ballots
If you have been admitted to a healthcare facility within 1 week of the election, you may use the absentee ballot application to designate someone of your choice to deliver a ballot to you. The person you designate to deliver your ballot will need to bring the signed application to the Election Commission Office at 51 Inman Street, pick up your absentee ballot, bring it to you, and return it for you by the close of polls on Election Day. Emergency ballots may be requested up until the close of polls.
Returning your Ballot
Ballots may be returned by mail, in person to the Election Commission Office, or to a designated ballot drop box. Ballot drop box locations will be posted online for each election. Ballots must reach the Election Commission Office at 51 Inman Street by the close of polls on Election Day in order to be counted. For biennial general state elections, ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Election Commission Office by the third day after the election. Please make sure the absentee ballot envelope is signed and sealed.
Tips and FAQs
What is the difference between absentee voting and early voting?
Early voting is a process by which a registered voter can vote before Election Day during a designated period. Voters can vote early by mail or in-person and the ballot will be cast on Election Day.
Early voting is different from absentee voting because you do not need an excuse or reason to vote early! Please check our early voting site for information about upcoming elections.
Who can vote by absentee Ballot?
You can vote by absentee Ballot if any of the following applies:
- You will be absent from Cambridge on election day during polling hours;
- You have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place;
- You cannot vote at the polls due to religious belief.
How do I vote absentee by mail?
To vote absentee by mail, you first have to apply for an Absentee Ballot. You can do this by either filling out the application form below or by sending a signed request to the Election Office that includes:
- Your name;
- The address where you are registered to vote;
- The address where you want the ballot to be sent;
- The election(s) for which you need an Absentee Ballot.
- YOUR SIGNATURE
If you are an unenrolled voter seeking to vote in a primary, you must indicate the party ballot that you prefer.
A family member of a person qualified to vote by Absentee Ballot may apply for that person. In addition to the above information, family members must also include their name and relationship to the voter.
Click here for absentee ballot application
Do I need to be registered to vote to get an Absentee Ballot?
Yes, unless you are a “specially qualified voter” you must be registered to vote to apply for an Absentee Ballot.
A specially qualified voter is a person:
- who is otherwise eligible to register as a voter and
- whose present domicile is outside the United States and whose last domicile in the United States was Massachusetts or whose present domicile is Massachusetts and who is:
(a) absent from the city or town of residence and in the active service of the armed forces or in the merchant marine of the United States or a spouse or dependent of such person;
(b) absent from the commonwealth; or
(c) confined in a correctional facility or a jail, except if by reason of felony conviction.
What is the deadline for applying to vote absentee?
By Mail:
- You can apply any time within the calendar year until 5 pm on the 5th business day before the election.
- Make sure to apply with enough time to get the ballot and mail it back by Election day
- If you are going to vote absentee in more than one election, you can apply for all elections within a calendar year with one application
In Person:
- You can apply any time until noon on the day before the election. If the day before the election is a holiday, the deadline is 5 p.m. on the last business day that the office is open.
- You can go to the Election Commission office and apply at the same time as you vote.
- During the Early Voting Period, you can vote at a designated Early Voting Location without needing an application.
What is the deadline for mailing back the ballot?
Voters within the United States:
- Primary, Special, or Local Election: Ballots must be received by the Election Commission by the close of polls (8 p.m.) on Election Day.
- Biennial General State Election: Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on the third day after the election.
Overseas Voters
- Primary: Ballots must be received by the Election Commission by the close of polls (8 p.m.) on Election Day.
- General Elections: Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 5 p.m. on or before the tenth day after the election.
How do I vote absentee in person?
Absentee Ballots are available for over-the-counter voting at the Cambridge Election Office at least twenty days before each election. Please call the Election Commission Office at 617-349-4361 to find out if Absentee Ballots are available.
People with disabilities
If you are permanently disabled, you may apply to vote from home. Send a letter to the Election Office from your doctor, stating that you are permanently unable to cast your ballot at the polling place due to a physical disability. The Election Office will automatically mail you an application for an Absentee Ballot for all elections in a calendar year. You must sign the application and send it back.
If you are blind or have a vision impairment, have a mobility or dexterity disability, or have another disability that makes it difficult for you to mark a paper ballot, you can request an accessible vote by mail ballot. You must include in your application or letter a statement saying that you need to use an accessible vote by mail ballot as an accommodation due to a disability that prevents you from marking a paper ballot. To access the accessible vote by mail system, you must provide an email address. You can apply for an accessible vote by mail ballot using the online portal or the PDF form.
Designated Health Care Facilities
A person who has been admitted to a hospital or other health care facility after twelve o'clock noon of the 7th day before a primary/election can request an absentee ballot up until the close of polls on Election Day. The ballot can be delivered by an election official or the voter can designate a person to deliver the ballot in person and then return it to the Election Commission.