Both mail-in and in-person voting is underway in every city and town in Massachusetts.
In-person voting began this past Saturday and will be available every day of the week through next Friday, October 30, excluding Sunday, October 25.
For those who wish to vote by mail, mail-in ballot requests must be received by the local election office by Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM. Ballots returned via the USPS must be postmarked by Election Day (November 3) and arrive at the local election department by Friday, November 6, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
For those who choose to use an official ballot drop box or hand-deliver it to their local election office, it must be submitted by the close of the polls on Election Day, November 3, at 8:00 PM.
Massachusetts enacted early voting 10 years ago and has proven to be highly-popular with voters, often with nearly 50% of voters taking advantage of the opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day.
For some of us, the excitement of voting on Election Day itself — with the hub-bub at the polls of campaign volunteers and election workers — has a certain nostalgic attraction.
On the other hand, the incredible convenience of voting early in-person on a day that works best for us has become a great way to bypass the Election Day rush, avoiding the hassles of finding a parking spot close to the polls or dealing with the possibility of bad weather on Election Day.
The midterm elections always serve as a referendum on the party and the President in power. The 2026 election will determine the make-up of the U.S. Congress and the Senate, as well as the governorship in Massachusetts.
Voters will have a clear choice in every race, including at the state level, between choosing candidates who are supporters of the current administration in Washington or candidates who believe that changes in the country’s direction are needed.
But regardless of how one chooses to vote or which candidate one supports, the most important thing is that we all vote. Our democracy will not work unless every American exercises our right to vote, especially in this perilous time.
Vote No on Question 8 to keep marijuana safe and legal
It was 10 years ago that Massaachusetts voters approved by referendum a law that allowed for the sale of recreational marijuana in state-approved dispensaries.
Since the enactment of the statute, the law has worked out as planned. Police no longer are tasked with enforcing marijuana laws that were universally-flouted and that often were enforced discriminatorily against minority populations.
In addition, with the possession of marijuana no longer a crime, the damaging, life-long effect of a criminal record — for a minor offense — upon a person’s potential employment opportunities was removed.
Most importantly, the law all but eradicated the black market drug dealers from the marijuana business, which has had five major effects:
First, the profits from the sale of marijuana are being realized by legitimate businesses rather than criminal organizations;
Second, about $300 million dollars in state and local taxes are received annually from the sale of marijuana products;
Third, the legal marijuana trade now employs thousands of Massachusetts citizens who make an honest living and pay taxes;
Fourth, the marijuana sold in dispensaries is safe and free from possibly harmful additives, such as fentanyl and worse, that the criminal gangs often laced into their marijuana; and
Fifth, since marijuana has become legal in Mass., usage by teens has dropped by 50% according to data compiled by federal health authorities. This mirrors a trend in all states where marijuana has become legal. This fact — which the proponents of Question 8 ignore — may seem counterintuitive, but it makes perfect sense. With the black market drug dealers out of the business, there is less availability of marijuana “on the street” for criminals to ply their trade to vulnerable teens.
In our view, Question 8 seeks to repeal a law that is working well and ensures the safe sale of marijuana to adult residents of Massachusetts. We strongly urge a “No” vote on this ill-conceived question.