Elections

Absentee Ballots are different from Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Absentee Ballots –

To qualify for an absentee ballot, you must:

• Be away from your city/town on Election Day; or
• Have a disability that keeps you from voting at your polling place; or
• Have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at your polling place on Election Day

Absentee voters use the same ballots as early Vote by Mail voters and have the same deadlines for returning their ballots. Most voters who qualify for an absentee ballot can choose instead to apply for an early Vote by Mail ballot. There are some times that an absentee ballot application is needed.

You should fill out an absentee ballot application if:

• You qualify for an absentee ballot and you are voting in a local election in a city or town that has opted out of Vote by Mail for that election; or
• You are a U.S. citizen residing overseas; or
• You are on active military duty; or
• You are currently incarcerated for a reason other than a felony conviction; or
• You are requesting an emergency absentee ballot due to hospitalization.

Absentee ballots for STATE & FEDERAL ELECTIONS ONLY can be requested, using the Absentee Ballot Application. https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf

For Local Absentee Ballots go to the Town Clerk’s Office or Email: ddunfee@nahant.org

Applying for your Ballot

To request your Vote by Mail ballot, you will need to submit a Vote by Mail application.

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/Vote-by-Mail-Paper-Application-2023.pdf

You may submit your Vote by Mail application to your local election office:

• By mail
• By email
• By fax

Vote by Mail application can be downloaded or printed from this website. Further, any written request with your signature is an acceptable application. You can simply write a signed letter to your local election office to apply for your ballot.

Applications can be submitted by mail, email, or fax, but they must include a signature that can be compared to your hand-written signature. Electronic signatures, scanned applications, and photos of applications are acceptable.

Typed signatures on applications cannot be accepted, unless you are a voter who requires accommodations due to physical disability. If you are unable to sign your application or mark your ballot by hand due to a disability, please visit our page on Voting for Persons with Disabilities for information on requesting an accommodation. 

Local Elections

State law allows cities and towns to opt out of no-excuse early voting by mail in local elections. A city or town can only opt out of Vote by Mail for a local election after the city council or board of selectmen hold a public hearing and take a recorded vote to do so at least 45 days before the election.

If your community opts out of Vote by Mail for your local election, a Vote by Mail application will not be valid for that election. Check with your local election office about whether your community has opted out of Vote by Mail in an upcoming local election.

If you are a U.S citizen residing out of the country or on active military duty, you may use the Federal Post Card Application or the Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application to request your ballot.

You can vote by absentee ballot if:

You’re a member of the United States Military on active duty.

You’re a dependent family member of someone on active duty.

If you’re a member of the military stationed in Massachusetts, you can register to vote in Massachusetts.

If you lived in Massachusetts before being called to active duty and you haven’t registered elsewhere, you can vote by absentee ballot in Massachusetts elections.

Overseas Citizens

If you’re a United States citizen living overseas, you can vote in U.S. elections. You can vote using the address from your last residence in the United States. If you’re a citizen who has never lived in the U.S., you can vote from your qualifying parent’s last U.S. address.

Applying for your Ballot

If you’d like to get an absentee ballot, you can:

• Apply with the Federal Post Card Application;  https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca.pdf
• Apply with the Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application; https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/absentee/English-Absentee-Ballot-Application.pdf

Send a written request for an absentee ballot to your local election office.

Any application has to be sent to your local election office. You must handwrite your signatures. Typed signatures won’t be accepted. You can scan the form if you would like to email it.

Your absentee ballot application is valid until December 31 of the year that you submit it. You will need to submit a new absentee ballot application every year in which you want to vote.

• NO – If a vote by mail has already been received back by the Town Clerk’s Office. A returned vote by mail ballot is considered cast and you will not be eligible to vote by mail, early in person or in person at the polls on election day.

• YES – If your vote by mail has not been received back to the Town Clerk’s Office, you may still appear to vote in person at the polls on Election Day or at an early voting site. These voters will be required to complete additional paperwork and will need to show and ID. Should you mail n ballot be received after you voted early in person or at the polls on Election Day that ballot will be rejected and will not be counted.

All vote by mail and early voting in person ballots will be opened and inserted into a tabulator at the polls on election day. Until Election Day, the unopened ballots are stored and kept secured. Voting in Person at the Polls after submitting an early ballot is prohibited as outlined in 950 CMR 4 7.19.