Politics

Boston's 2026 election dates: state primary and state election explained

Boston voters face a statewide partisan primary on 1 September and the State Election on 3 November 2026. Here are the official dates, registration deadlines and early-voting windows.

By Boston Policy Desk · Published July 28, 2026

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How we reported this

This article was written by AI from the linked sources and was not reviewed by a journalist before publishing. The Daily Boston is part of The Daily Network and follows our reasonable editorial care.

Boston Massachusetts State House. Massachusetts State House, Boston, Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This article was reconstructed and updated on 29 July 2026. It replaces an earlier version of this page. Dates and rules below are drawn from the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth and the City of Boston Election Department; details reflect the records as of the dates shown.

Boston voters have two statewide election dates on the calendar in 2026. The Massachusetts State Primary is on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, and the State Election follows on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's upcoming-elections page and the City of Boston Election Department's 2026 election calendar.

State Primary, Tuesday, 1 September 2026

The 1 September primary is a statewide partisan nominating primary: the Democratic and Republican parties each hold their own primary, with separate ballots, to choose their nominees for the November ballot. Offices listed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth include U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor, Governor's Councillor, State Senator, State Representative, District Attorney and Register of Probate.

The voter registration deadline for the primary is Saturday, 22 August 2026. In-person early voting for the primary runs from Saturday, 22 August through Friday, 28 August 2026; the City of Boston lists its early-voting locations and times as to be determined. On election day, polls in Massachusetts are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Who can vote in which primary

Under the state's primary voting rules, a voter enrolled in a political party may only take that party's ballot. Voters registered as unenrolled, or in a political designation, may choose one party's ballot at check-in without becoming enrolled in that party. A voter who wants to change party enrollment must update their registration by the registration deadline.

State Election, Tuesday, 3 November 2026

For the 3 November State Election, the voter registration deadline is Saturday, 24 October 2026, and in-person early voting runs from Saturday, 17 October through Friday, 30 October 2026, with Boston's locations and times likewise listed as to be determined. Polls are again open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

No regular Boston municipal election in 2026

There is no regularly scheduled City of Boston municipal election or preliminary in 2026. Under sections 21 and 22 of the Boston City Charter, the city's municipal elections are held biennially in odd-numbered years; the charter separately provides for a special municipal election if a vacancy, such as an unexpired mayoral term, requires one.

How to register

Massachusetts residents can register to vote, update an address or change party enrollment online, by mail or in person, per the Secretary of the Commonwealth's registration rules; the general deadline is 10 days before an election.

Sources: Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Upcoming Elections; City of Boston, Election Department; How to Vote in a Primary; Registering to Vote; Boston City Charter §§21-22.