Don't forget

A guide to voting in this year's Mass. state primaries [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  August 25, 2022 Hello again! So, now you [know all the candidates](. You know their positions on the big issues. You watched [the debates](. You've learned maybe more than you ever thought you'd wanted to know about the auditor's office or the origins of the word "gubernatorial." Now let's make sure you get that ballot in. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow]( Support the news   How To Vote Massachusetts resident have as many voting options as ever this election. From early voting to mail-in ballot, we went through all the details and nuances in [this 2022 state primary voter's guide](. But there are some very important dates ahead. So let's go through the last-minute checklist. - Make sure you're registered to vote on [the state's website](. It's easy to check. You just have to enter your name, birthday and zip code. You'll also be able to see what your Democratic and Republican primary ballots look like, as well as your polling place for Election Day. (Early voting locations are a little bit different; we'll get to that in a bit.) - If you're not registered, the deadline to do so is this Saturday. If you have a state-issued ID, you can [register online](. If you don't, you'll have to fill out a [physical form]( and then either mail or take it to your [city or town's election office](. Date to remember Voter registration deadline: Saturday, Aug. 27 Now, here's what you need to know about actually casting your ballot. - Mail-in voting is underway, and early voting begins this weekend. - All communities must offer early voting from this Saturday through next Friday, though the hours and locations may differ based on the day. Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office has set up [an online tool where you can search your city or town]( and see its early voting polling places for each day and their times. You can go to any early voting location in your city or town if there's more than one. Dates to remember Early voting: Saturday, Aug. 27 to Friday, Sept. 2 - There's still time to [request a mail-in ballot]( (the deadline is Monday). You can do this with the state's [new online ballot application portal](. But at this point, elections officials warn you likely won't have time to both receive the ballot and mail it back. If you already have your ballot, mail it back soon. Unlike the general election, there's no grace period for the primary; it needs to arrive by Sept. 6. - The good news is you have plenty of options to drop your ballot off in person. You can bring your mail-in ballot to your local election office, [any early voting location]( in your city or town during voting hours or your local ballot drop box (check out [the town-by-town list of drop boxeshere]( Boston city officials have also [posted a helpful map](. Just make sure your get it there by 8 p.m. on Election Night. - Unsure about whether your ballot made it in time? [Track it here.]( Date to remember Last day to request a mail-in ballot: Monday, Aug. 29 Maybe you're a traditionalist and prefer voting on Election Day. - Well then, mark your calendar for Sept. 6. - That's the Tuesday after Labor Day, so don't let it sneak up on you! Even better, use some of your day off to research those down-ballot races. Or bring up the election at your cookout and engage your friends and family in political arguments thoughtful political discussions. - One benefit to voting on Election Day: state officials say it may actually be "a faster voting experience" with fewer lines. - That's because (a) cities and towns often have more [polling places on Election Day]( compared to early voting days and (b) more people are voting early compared to previous years. - All polls must be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. In fact, towns are allowed to open as early as 5:45 a.m. — but check first, so you aren't standing around waiting in the wee morning hours. - With a few [exceptions]( you don't need an ID to vote. If you do need an ID, anything with your name and address works, including a driver's license, a utility bill or a copy of your lease. Date to remember: Election Day: Tuesday, Sept. 6 There's not much more to it than that. For most people, the hardest part will be deciding who do vote for. If you're still struggling to decide, we broke down the big picture for you on [contested statewide primary races]( in a special newsletter last week. You can also read our complete coverage of [this year's elections]( here. Lastly, unless there are any down-to-the-wire races, you shouldn't have to stay up too late on Election Night for results. Galvin's office says they expect almost all cities and towns to report their vote totals within a couple of hours of the polls closing. (You may remember that a glut of late-arriving mail-in ballots [delayed the reporting of totals]( during last year's municipal elections in Boston. If a similar glut occurs this year, Galvin's office is asking local officials to focus on reporting the rest of their ballots first and then add to the tally later in the night when they finish counting the rest. Unlike in 2021, they'll also be able to remove mail-in ballots from their envelopes put them into tabulators ahead of the primary in order to speed up the counting process, thanks to [this year's new voting law](. In other words, expect a fairly early night — unless things are close. In the meantime, if you have questions, check out our [complete voter's guide](. Or don't hesitate to reach out by replying to this email! We'll do our best to answer any lingering questions. And of course, tune in for more on Election Night. We'll have live coverage on air and [at wbur.org]( as all the results come in — plus a recap in the following morning's edition of [WBUR Today](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? 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