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You don't have to use the mail to return a mail-in ballot in Boston
By adamg on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 10:08pm
Of course, there's absolutely no reason why somebody might suddenly not trust the US Postal Service with their mail-in ballots, nope, but just in case, there are a couple of ways for Bostonians to return mail-in ballots without popping them into a mailbox, according to the Boston Elections Department.
The Elections Department has a drop box at City Hall, next to the main entrance, that's available 9 to 5 on weekdays.
But also, you can drop your ballot off at early voting locations across the city between Aug. 22 and Aug. 28. Here's a list of locations by date.
Neighborhoods:
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Comments
This is really helpful
But the City could have announced this more prominently on their website.
Any word?
Any word on if there are going to be problems with the regular Neighborhood Polling Places on September 1st?
Library and Community Center Closed
Ward 19-10 and 19-13 were voting at the Roslindale Library and moved to the community center when it went under renovation. Now the community center in Roslindale is closed for water damage, so people that had been moved there will now vote in September and likely november at the Washington Irving School, and enter off Hawthorne St at the rear to be directed where to vote. People in those neighborhoods should have received a letter in th email already. You can always check on line for voting location changes. The state web site is pretty up to date on that.
I'm still waiting for my ballot
I mailed the vote-by-mail application two weeks ago today (Tuesday). So (assuming I get it within the early voting timeframe) the drop box option seems to be the way to go. But will you be able to just walk in and drop off your ballot, or will you have to wait in the same line as the people who are there to vote early?
Couldn't be easier.
There is a secure drop box just inside the main entrance on the plaza level. The security guard asked if I had any symptoms (no), checked my temperature with the forehead thing (passed), and I was in and out on 30 seconds.
Also worth noting that I had discarded my original application, then changed my mind. Emailed for a new application, received it two days later, mailed back the application that day, and received the primary ballot in a few days. Kudos to the folks at the election department and the USPS.
Update: Track My Ballot
So I just learned about "Track My Ballot" on the MA Secretary of State Website, and my ballot was just mailed yesterday, the 18th, so 15 days after I mailed in the application. I will definitely be using a drop box to get my ballot in-my plan is to go to the BPL during one of their early voting days (this is why I am wondering about line for the drop box vs. line to vote.)
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema/track/trackmyballot.aspx
Why not a 24/7 drop box?
Somerville has one, at the back entrance to City Hall on School Street. I also saw one at Saugus Town Hall while biking through that area this weekend.
Sabotage worries?
Maybe they're worried that someone would dump a bunch of ink in it (or worse), ruining a lot of ballots. To prevent that, you need a guard.
happens in Boston, stays in Boston?
do voters who wish to drop their mail-in ballots in a secure election ballot drop box, provided by towns, have to drop it in their own town's ballot drop box, or can, say, boston voters drop it in a dedham or somerville or sunderland or where ever box?
You have to use your own city/town's drop box
One advantage of a mailbox, I guess.