City of Boston Election Department Issues Reminders Ahead of the Tuesday, September 1, State Primary

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The City of Boston Election Department is reminding voters that the State Primary is Tuesday, September 1, 2026. This election will determine the candidates on the ballot in the upcoming State Election on Tuesday, November 3.

There are a total of 438,367 registered voters. The Election Department has recruited and trained more than 1,872 poll workers across the 275 voting precincts in Boston. There are over 474 poll workers who will be able to provide assistance in languages that include Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, Cape Verdean, Russian, and Portuguese.

Early Voting Totals

As of Thursday, August 27, a total of 4,558 voters had cast ballots at in-person early-voting locations across the City.

Voting On Election Day

Polling locations open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m. A list of polling locations is available here. As a reminder, voters should check their registration status via the Secretary of the Commonwealth's website. Printed ballots will be available in English and Spanish, as well as English and Chinese and English and Vietnamese where required. Language interpreters will also be available upon request. All voting locations are wheelchair accessible and are equipped with an AutoMark Voter Assist Terminal for voters with disabilities to assist with marking the ballot independently.

Polling Location Changes
  • Voters in Ward 2, Precinct 1 are reminded that they will now vote at the General Warren Apartments at 47 Rear Washington Street. Voters will vote in the Community Room.
  • Voters in Ward 2, Precinct 3 are reminded that they will now vote at the Saint Mary's-Saint Catherine of Siena Parish at 46 Winthrop Street. Voters can enter from the right side of the building and vote in the Multi-Purpose Room.
  • Voters in Ward 9, Precinct 1 are reminded that they will now vote at the IBA Administrative Offices at 85 West Newton Street. Voters will vote in the Multi-Purpose Room.
  • Voters in Ward 22, Precinct 3 are reminded that they will now vote at the Brighton Branch of the Boston Public Library at 40 Academy Hill Road. Voters will vote in the Community Room.

No other polling locations for this election have changed.

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Poll Pads Electronic Check-in

Poll Pads will be used to check-in voters at each polling location. The voting process for voters remains the same: voters will check in with a poll worker, receive a paper ballot, mark their vote, and cast it into the tabulator.

Ballot Return

The Election Department mailed out all 45,273 requested vote-by-mail and absentee ballots, and as of Thursday, August 27, 25,210 ballots have been returned to the City.

Voters who requested a ballot and have not yet returned it are encouraged to return their ballots using any of the 22 drop boxes or in person at the Election Department in City Hall to ensure their ballots are counted. Ballot packages must be received by the Election Department no later than 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 1, 2026.

Ballots cannot be returned to a polling location on Election Day.

Voters can track their ballot through the state's website here. If there is no movement indicated in the "Track My Ballot" system, voters should plan to vote in person on Election Day at their assigned precinct. Voters can check their polling location/status here.

Unofficial Results

After polls close at 8:00 p.m., the Election Department will receive and upload unofficial results of ballots counted at polling places as they are returned from each precinct. Poll workers need time to tally election results and transport materials from polling places to City Hall. Uploading of election results may not begin until 10:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on election results.

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The initial results reported on the website on election night will include:
  • Ballots cast in person on election day;
  • Early voting and mail-in ballots, including those from precincts being centrally tabulated at the City Hall central tabulation facility.

The unofficial results uploaded to www.boston.gov/election on election night will NOT include:
  • Hand counted ballots recorded in the precinct clerk's book after the close of polls or;
  • Mail and absentee ballots that arrive on time on election day, but are too late to be sent to polling locations to be counted. These ballots will be processed after the close of polls at 8:00 p.m., once the voter lists from each precinct have been received by the Election Department.

Initial results will display a citywide or districtwide total for each candidate. We expect to publish precinct-level unofficial results by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2026.

Media Guidelines

Where To Stand

Members of the press must remain behind the guardrail. While many polling places are not equipped with a physical guardrail, the area within the "guardrail" encompasses the check-in table, the voting booths, and the ballot box. Only poll workers and voters should be within this area.

Interacting With Voters and Poll Workers

Members of the press, like all other observers in the polling place, may not interact with voters while they are in the polling place. Further, observers who have questions about where they should stand and what they are allowed to do while observing should ask to speak to the warden. The warden may provide members of the press with information regarding their rights as observers.

Photography

Photography of the voting process in the polling place is permitted, though marked ballots may not be photographed. Photographers are allowed inside the polling place to photograph the area from outside the guardrail. The warden may instruct the photographer not to take photos of any marked ballots.

Video and Audio Recording

As with photography of the polling place, video recording of the polling place is allowed. Audio recording of the polling place is not permitted under state law. Anyone recording in the polling place must have the ability to record without capturing audio and should be instructed to do so by the warden. Those who are using electronic equipment may not use the electricity in the polling place to power their equipment.

Exit Polling

Exit polling and interviews of voters are permitted outside, within 150 feet of a polling place, as long as it does not interfere with a person or voter on their way to an election. Only voters leaving the polling place may be stopped. Voter access to the polling place should not be impeded in any way.

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