Dorchester and Mattapan voters must go downtown for last early ballots
No early voting locations remain in the two neighborhoods for the week of October 26 through 30, requiring residents to leave their areas to cast ballots before the November 3 election.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
Residents of Dorchester and Mattapan must leave their neighborhoods to cast early ballots this week, as the city has scheduled no local voting sites for the final five days of the period.
The last opportunity to vote close to home ended over the weekend at three locations: the BCYF Perkins Community Center on Talbot Avenue, the BCYF Mildred Avenue Community Center in Mattapan, and the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Dudley Street. Those sessions closed on Sunday, October 25, leaving the remainder of the early voting window, which runs through Friday, October 30, without any sites in the two districts.
Boston City Hall now serves as the central hub for early voting. The Haymarket Room at City Hall will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, October 26, and Wednesday, October 28. Extended evening hours are scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, and Thursday, October 29, with voting ending at 8 p.m. on those days. The final day for in-person early voting is Friday, October 30, when City Hall closes at 5 p.m. The city advises voters to use the north entrance on Congress Street, located across from the Haymarket MBTA station.
Additional sites will operate during the week, though none are in Dorchester or Mattapan. On Tuesday, the Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Roslindale and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Seaport will host voters from noon to 8 p.m. On Thursday, the Saint George Orthodox Church in West Roxbury and the BCYF Hyde Park Community Center will open from noon to 8 p.m. Any registered Boston voter may cast a ballot at any early voting location regardless of their assigned precinct.
The deadline to register for the November 3 election passed on Saturday, October 24. Residents who choose to vote by mail must submit their applications by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27. Those who have already received mail-in ballots can return them to a city drop box or an early voting location during posted hours.
The election will determine the winners for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress, state Legislature, and other offices, alongside nine statewide ballot questions. Voters who do not cast an early ballot must wait until Tuesday, November 3, when polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. On Election Day, voters must report to their specific precinct polling places rather than any designated early voting site.
Source: Dorchester Reporter
