Your voter registration is tied to where you live.

As a college, university, or other school student, you can usually register to vote in either your hometown or here in Boston.

Here are things you might consider when deciding where to vote:

• Which location is more convenient for you? 

• Who is on the ballot in each place?

• Are there local policies or particular issues that are important to you in either place?

Voting in Boston would mean you would be voting not just for presidential candidates but also for Massachusetts representatives, as well as local offices. You can also vote on Massachusetts Ballot Questions.

If you were considering not voting out-of-state with a hometown address because of inconveniences dealing with an absentee ballot, voting in Boston can be a good opportunity to still vote locally if you prefer.

Where you register to vote will not affect your federal financial aid, including FAFSA, Pell Grants, Perkins, or Stafford loans. It may affect whether you qualify for in-state tuition.

Voting in Your Hometown

Even if you’re attending classes in Boston for most of the year, you may have the option to vote in your hometown. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Register to vote using your permanent address in your hometown. Use your college address as your mailing address on your registration. 
  

• Many states allow you to ask for a mail-in ballot if you’re unable to vote in person. Some states mail every voter a ballot automatically. Each state has its own guidelines, so check to see what the rules are in your state or territory. You can have the mail ballot sent to your college address. 

Congratulations! You can vote if you registered!

If you will become a U.S. citizen after the voter registration deadline for this election, you can still register to vote in person at your local election office until 4pm on the day before the election.

Make sure you bring proof that your naturalization ceremony took place after the voter registration deadline.

In Massachusetts, people with felony convictions can vote immediately after they are released from incarceration. That’s true even if you are on probation or parole.

If you’ve been recently released and have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can register online.  

You can vote while incarcerated if:

• You are civilly committed and not serving any felony sentence

• You are serving a misdemeanor sentence and not serving any felony sentence

• You are pre-trial and not serving any felony sentence

If you’re incarcerated, you must submit an absentee ballot to vote, but you do not need to register to vote before voting. You can register to vote if you want to, or you can vote by absentee ballot as a “specially qualified voter.” 

If you’d like more information, you can write to PLS to request that they send you voting information and an absentee ballot application, or you can ask a friend or loved one to print the absentee ballot application from the Secretary of State’s website.  

In Massachusetts, members of the Uniformed Services serving on active duty, their families, and U.S. citizens residing overseas are eligible to vote in all elections.

These voters do not need to register to vote to request an absentee ballot.

To get your absentee ballot you can use the Federal Post Card Application or simply send a written request. A family member can also help by requesting that an absentee ballot be sent directly to you.

You have the flexibility to receive your absentee ballot via mail, fax, or email, and you can return your completed ballot through any of these methods as well.

And don’t forget, Massachusetts allows military and overseas voters to use the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) for absentee voting in all elections. This means you can cast your vote anytime before the election, even if you haven’t applied for an absentee ballot yet. After you fill out the FWAB, just submit it by mail or electronically.