Polls Close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Here’s When Massachusetts Results Should Arrive, and Why Some Could Wait

Massachusetts voters head into the final weekend before Tuesday’s election with a large share of the work already done. More than 983,000 ballots had been received statewide by Thursday, roughly 19% of registered voters, according to figures from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office reported by Boston 25 News. Nearly 700,000 of those arrived by mail and about 286,000 were cast at early in-person voting, which ended Friday.

The rest of the vote comes Tuesday, November 3, when polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Associated Press, which tabulates results and declares winners for news organizations nationwide, says it will call contested races from the U.S. Senate down to the State House, along with all nine statewide ballot questions. Here is how the count is likely to unfold, and why some outcomes may not be settled on election night.

What is on the ballot

Every statewide office is on the ballot, and the Democratic incumbents who hold them are all seeking another term, the AP notes. According to WBUR’s voter guide, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey faces Republican John Deaton, along with two minor-party and independent candidates. Gov. Maura Healey faces Republican Mike Minogue and independent Andrea James. Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin and Auditor Diana DiZoglio also have challengers.

The nine ballot questions, as summarized by NBC Boston and WBUR, would:

1. Apply the state public records law to the Legislature and the governor’s office.
2. Let public defenders employed by the Committee for Public Counsel Services unionize.
3. Replace party primaries with a single all-candidate primary that sends the top two to November.
4. Allow voters to register on Election Day at their polling place.
5. Change the state revenue limit and the formula for taxpayer rebates.
6. Create a conservation and recreation fund financed by existing sales taxes on certain goods.
7. Allow single-family homes on residential lots of at least 5,000 square feet, overriding some local zoning, with Boston excluded.
8. Repeal the 2016 law that legalized recreational marijuana sales.
9. Keep the 2024 gun law in place; a “no” vote would repeal it.

How the count works

Massachusetts does not run a single statewide count. Elections are administered by 351 separate cities and towns, each releasing results on its own schedule, the AP reports. Larger communities often post results from different voting methods together, in batches, through the night.

Past elections give a sense of the pace. In the 2024 general election, the first results appeared about 15 minutes after polls closed, the count passed the halfway mark shortly after 11 p.m., and 90% of the vote was in by about 4 a.m. the next morning, according to the AP. In the 2022 governor’s race, about 2.4 million votes were cast and roughly 45% came in before Election Day.

One rule matters most for close contests: mail ballots postmarked by November 3 still count if they reach local election offices by Friday, November 6, WBUR reports. As of Thursday, roughly 360,000 requested mail ballots had not been returned, Boston 25 News reported. Not all of those will be cast, but any that arrive late in the week can move a tight margin.

When a winner is declared, and when it is not

The AP says it does not make projections. It declares a winner only when it determines there is no scenario in which trailing candidates could close the gap. If a race stays uncalled, the AP says it will explain why.

Massachusetts has no automatic recounts. Candidates in statewide and district races may request one if the margin is no more than 0.5% of the total vote, and candidates in town and ward races can seek one by petition, the AP reports. The AP may still call a race subject to a possible recount if the lead is too large for a recount to change the result.

The Boston Made Take

The Boston Made editorial desk expects the top of the ticket to draw the headlines Tuesday night, but the ballot questions are where patience may be required. Statewide offices with well-known incumbents tend to produce clear margins early. Questions on taxes, housing, primaries and marijuana do not follow party lines as neatly, and a narrow question result is exactly the kind of outcome that can wait on late mail ballots through Friday.

The desk also notes that several questions would change how future elections and state finances work. Question 3 would remake the primary system; Question 4 would let residents register on Election Day itself; Question 5 would alter rebates owed to taxpayers when collections run high. Voters and businesses alike should read results on those three as structural changes with effects lasting well beyond this cycle. Investors watching Massachusetts-based companies may also note Question 8, whose outcome bears directly on the state’s licensed cannabis industry.

What it means for you

• Voting in person? Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. If you are in line at 8 p.m., stay in line.
• Holding an unreturned mail ballot? Use your town’s drop box or local election office, or make sure it is postmarked by November 3 and arrives by November 6. If you vote in person instead, your mail ballot will be rejected, WBUR notes.
• Not registered? The registration deadline for this election was October 24. Election Day registration exists only if Question 4 passes and takes effect for future elections.
• Watching results? Expect early returns soon after 8 p.m. and a more complete picture after 11 p.m.; a close question may not be called until later in the week.

Discussion

1. Should Massachusetts require mail ballots to arrive by Election Day so results are final sooner?
2. Which of the nine ballot questions do you expect to be the closest, and why?
3. Would Election Day registration, as proposed in Question 4, change how you or people you know vote?