The Massachusetts State Election is quickly approaching this fall. Below is a roundup of voting resources. Be an informed and empowered voter this 2024 election season.
Key Massachusetts Election Dates and Deadlines
November 5, 2024 – State Election
- Voter Registration Deadline: Saturday, October 26, 2024
- Vote by Mail Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 29, 2024
- Early Voting Timeline: Saturday, October 19, through Friday, November 1, 2024
- Election Day Polling Hours: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm
State and Local Voting Information
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – Elections Division
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts publishes information about voting and elections through the Massachusetts Elections Division. Information includes:
- Downloadable versions of the 2024 Information for Voters Book:
- How to register to vote in Massachusetts, including online, by mail, or in person
- How to find your voter registration status
- Accessibility options for voters with disabilities
City of Boston Election Department
This department directs all municipal, state, and federal elections within Boston. The Election Department registers voters, conducts an annual census, and educates the public on voting. It has information about voting, including:
- A comprehensive guide to voting in Boston, which includes new precinct lines, polling locations, ID requirements, and more.
- How to register to vote
- Early voting in Boston
- How to vote by absentee ballot
- Voting by mail in Boston
Information on Races, Candidates, and Issues
Below is a roundup of resources to learn more about races and candidates on your ballot.
- Ballotpedia — This resource describes itself as an online encyclopedia of American politics and elections, with a goal to inform people about politics at all levels of government. They are committed to neutrality and objectivity; articles are written by its staff.
- VoteSmart — This non-profit, non-partisan organization's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials. The site includes information to help voters evaluate candidates using these objective criteria: voting records, issue positions, interest group ratings, public statements, and campaign finance data.
- Vote411 — Run by the National League of Women Voters, you can find information on all candidates running in your district.
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Local News Outlets:
- WBUR’s coverage of Massachusetts’ 2024 Ballot Questions
- Boston Globe’s 2024 Election Coverage
- GBH’s 2024 Election Coverage
- Tip: You can likely find any news outlet’s election coverage by typing [news publication’s name] + [“Election 2024”] into Google.
- Did you know you can access digital newspapers and magazines such as The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many more for free with your BPL library card? Find the full list of newspapers accessible via the BPL.
Fact-Checking Websites and Resources
There is a lot of election information that is circulating in media, social media, and beyond. But how do we know if the information we are consuming is factual, accurate, and trustworthy? Below is a roundup of fact-checking resources and media literacy tools to help.
- Factcheck.org — FactCheck.org is a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate" for voters. It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
- Politifact.com — Compiled by the staff of the Tampa Bay Times newspaper, Politifact aims to rate the truthfulness of statements made by candidates.
- The S.I.F.T method — Developed by digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, the S.I.F.T method is composed of four quick moves to help readers evaluate digital information.
- The News Literacy Project’s Misinformation Dashboard: Election 2024 — The News Literacy Project is a national education nonprofit offering nonpartisan programs that teach news literacy. This misinformation dashboard tool tracks the topics and tactics of 2024 election misinformation.
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