Accessible Voting in Massachusetts
The Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election is over. Thank you for voting!
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Voting for Persons with Disabilities page or call (800) 462-VOTE (8683) for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Massachusetts for voters with disabilities
- Sign up each year to receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 22 through November 4, early voting is available at early voting centers and at your local elections office.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- You can drop off your ballot at all early voting locations for your jurisdiction.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling places are open until 8:00 pm.
Opening times vary by location.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Massachusetts are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
AutoMARK
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on the front of the device.
The printed ballot is a facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot.
Ballots are cast at a separate scanner.
Learn more about using an AutoMARK
- Short video from Wisconsin Elections (YouTube 3:55)
- Video from NY City Board of Elections (YouTube 13:47)
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by 5:00 pm on November 11.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
- All voters are mailed a form to request a ballot.
- Voters can sign up to receive a ballot request for all elections in a year.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Fill out and return the form you received in the mail.
- Return the request form by email or fax.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a secure drop box
At your local elections office
At an early voting location
Find a ballot drop-off location near you at your local elections website.
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
If you mail your ballot, make sure it is postmarked by Election Day.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
- A family member, household member, or caregiver can return your ballot for you. Contact your local elections office for more information.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Massachusetts called Accessible Electronic Ballot
Voters with print disabilities may use the Accessible Vote by Mail system. There are two steps: Request a vote by mail ballot from your local elections office. Request an Accessible Vote by Mail ballot using the online portal or a [PDF form] (https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Vote-by-Mail-Paper-Application-2022-AVBM.pdf).
You must include a signature on the application, which may be handwritten or hand-drawn using a mouse or stylus. If you cannot sign, you may type your name in the signature line or ask someone to assist you. Your local election official will send access information for your ballot to the email address you provide. It will include a unique Access PIN to use when logging in.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by 5:00 pm on November 11.
Returning a printed ballot
- If you want to return a paper ballot, you must inform your local election official before the Vote by Mail application deadline. They will send you the secrecy and return envelopes.
- You can also return your ballot electronically by following the instructions on the screen.
Ballots must be received by the local elections office by 8pm on Election Day.
You can return your ballot:
- By mail
- At a secure drop box
- At an early voting location
- At your local election office
Returning your ballot electronically
You have the option for electronic ballot return:
- Through a secure portal
The systems in use in Massachusetts for accessible voting by mail are:
DemocracyLive OmniBallot Portal
Accessible system for voting by mail.
Delivers and returns ballot through a secure online portal.
Creates a paper facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot for tabulation.
Voters have the option to print and mail their ballot.
Claims WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility.
Learn more about using Omni Ballot
- Democracy Live Website
- Short tutorial from Democracy Live (YouTube :30)
- Electronic return process from Democracy Live (YouTube 11:28)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Massachusetts