Is this your first time voting? Here’s everything you need to know about voting by mail or in person ahead of November 5. Photo via Unsplash/Element5 Digital

Politics

Voting 101: How and Where to Vote in the Presidential Election

First time voting? Are you away from your home state? Here’s what you need to know to vote by mail or in person ahead of November 5

Voting in a national election is your way to be heard on the things that matter most to you. Whether you care about the economy, climate change, gun violence, immigration, or any other societal matter, your right to vote, and to participate in free and fair elections, should never be taken for granted. 

And it’s not just about voting for candidates—elections also often include ballot questions and referendums on issues with the potential to drastically change a state’s political landscape, such as protecting abortion rights or legalizing marijuana. (A ballot question comes from gathering enough signatures to propose a new piece of legislation, while a referendum deals with upholding or repealing existing legislation.) 

Will this coming Election Day be your first time voting? Congratulations! Read on for everything you need to know ahead of November 5.

If you want to vote in person

If you’re a Massachusetts resident (which includes college students who live in-state during the school year) and you want to vote here, you first need to register, if you haven’t already. Note that you can register up to 10 days before the election. 

Then you need to find your polling place. Massachusetts divides its regions into voting precincts, and each precinct has a specific polling place. After you register, the state will mail you a letter with the location of your assigned polling place—often a school, city hall building, or community center—but you can also look it up here. 

Come November 5, head to your designated voting location between the hours of 7 am and 8 pm. Follow the signs to your precinct’s voting room. (Some voting locations serve multiple precincts.) You’ll need to check in with the volunteers at the check-in table. If this is your first time voting, you’ll probably have to present some form of identification. After you receive your ballot, fill it out in a voting booth. Be sure to follow the specific instructions on completing the ballot. Don’t rush. When you’re done, bring it to the checkout table and place it in the ballot collection box. 

Last step: Collect your “I voted” sticker and you’re done. (Selfie optional.)

Want to avoid poll lines on November 5? Massachusetts offers early voting from October 19 through November 1; learn more here. Otherwise, find more information about voting in Massachusetts here. 

If you want to vote by mail

First things first: you need to register to vote in the state you plan to vote in, if you haven’t already. Many, but not all, states allow voters to register online. Deadlines for registering to vote also differ widely by state—some states let voters register up to about a week before an election, while others require closer to a month’s notice. 

Next, you need to sign up for an absentee ballot or a mail-in ballot. Yes, those are two different things. In short, an absentee ballot is a ballot sent to a voter who cannot physically make it to a voting location—such as a college student who goes to school in a different state from the one they’re registered to vote in. All states offer absentee voting in some form; note that some states may require voters to provide a reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Here are the deadlines you need to know for requesting an absentee ballot; you can request one here.

A mail-in ballot, meanwhile, specifically means a ballot sent through the mail in an election that permits all voters to vote entirely by mail. (Not all states or elections do.) However, many people use “mail-in ballot” to describe any ballot sent by mail. Head to your state’s elections site to learn if it has an all-mail program.

Once you’ve received your ballot in the mail, your job is simple: vote. Once your ballot is filled out, place it in the included privacy sleeve or mailer, sign and date the affidavit on the mailer, and stick the whole thing back in the mail ahead of Election Day.

Learn more about absentee and mail-in voting here.

A few reminders

Number one: in general, don’t post a picture of your ballot online. It’s legal in some states, but against the law in others (including in Massachusetts), and it’s still a gray area in a handful of states. It’s safest to stick with an “I voted” selfie—a time-honored voting tradition—instead.

Know that you’re not required to cast a vote for every candidate or issue on a ballot. It’s okay to leave some things blank if you’re not sure about how to vote.

But it’s always best to do your research ahead of time. Many states send guides to voters ahead of Election Day that explain the issues up for vote. You can also look issues and candidates up online, attend campaign events, or listen to town hall or legislative discussions to hear citizens discuss ballot questions and referendums. The more informed you are, the better you can make the choices that best align with your values.