Conduct of Elections What hours are the polls open? For all federal, state, and municipal elections: 7am - 8pm. Can I vote in Cambridge if I moved out of the city, but did not register anywhere else? In order to vote in a municipal election, you must be living in Cambridge on election day.  You can vote in state and federal elections within six months after moving out of Cambridge , provided you have not registered at a new address. Homeless persons may use their prior address in Cambridge, if that was their last place of residency and if they were registered to vote.  What is the voting list? A voting list contains the name, address and party of all registered voters in the City. It is publicly posted outside each polling place 30 days before an election. It is also located at the polls on election day.  What if my name is not on the voting list? If your name is not on the publicly posted voting list, contact the Election Office. If you report to the polls to vote and your name does not appear on the voting list, an election official will contact the Election Office for assistance.  Where can I get information on ballot questions? The Office of the Secretary of State office mails one copy of ballot question summaries to each voting household in the Commonwealth. It contains material on questions that the public will be voting on along with pro and con arguments for each question.Political organizations, especially those formed to promote or oppose a particular question, are also good sources. Consult newspapers, radio, television, and other media outlets for coverage of campaigns around ballot questions. The City of Cambridge also sends out information about questions appearing on municipal election ballots.  Where can I get information on candidates? The state committees of each political party are good sources for candidate information. Massachusetts Democratic Party 56 Roland St, Suite 203 Boston, MA 02129 617-776-2676 Fax: (617) 776-2579 www.massdems.org Massachusetts Republican Party 85 Merrimac St, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 (617) 523-5005 www.massgop.com Most candidates have headquarters or listed phone numbers where you can contact them or their campaigns directly for information. For the names of candidates running for elective office, you can contact the Election office. How can I get a ride to the polls? Many candidates provide rides to their supporters on election day. Contact the candidate of your choice to make arrangements  In which congressional district do I live? The entire city of Cambridge belongs to the Eighth Congressional District of Massachusetts.        You can vote by absentee Ballot if any of the following applies: · You will be absent from Cambridge on election day during polling hours; · You have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place; · You cannot vote at the polls due to religious belief. How do I vote absentee by mail? To vote absentee by mail, you first have to apply for an Absentee Ballot.  You can do this by either filling out the application form below or by sending a signed request to the Election Office that includes: · Your name; · The address where you are registered to vote; · The address where you want the ballot to be sent; · The election(s) for which you need an Absentee Ballot. If you are an unenrolled voter seeking to vote in a primary, you must indicate the party ballot that you prefer. Click here for absentee ballot application Family member may apply A family member of a person qualified to vote by Absentee Ballot may apply for that person. Click here for absentee ballot by a Family Member Do I need to be registered to vote to get an Absentee Ballot? Yes, unless you are a “specially qualified voter” you must be registered to vote to apply for an Absentee Ballot. A specially qualified voter is a person: · who is otherwise eligible to register as a voter and · whose present domicile is outside the United States and whose last domicile in the United States was Massachusetts or whose present domicile is Massachusetts and who is: (a) absent from the city or town of residence and in the active service of the armed forces or in the merchant marine of the United States or a spouse or dependent of such person; (b) absent from the commonwealth; or (c) confined in a correctional facility or a jail, except if by reason of felony conviction. What is the deadline for applying to vote absentee? · You can apply any time until noon on the day before the election.  · If you are going to vote by mail, be sure to apply with enough time to get the ballot and mail it back by election day.  · If you are going to vote in person, you can go to the Election Office and apply at the same time as you vote.  · If you are going to vote absentee in more than one election, you can apply for all elections within a calendar year with one application.    What is the deadline for mailing back the ballot? The Election Office must receive your ballot by the close of polls on election day.  In a state or federal general election, an Absentee Ballot that has been mailed from outside the United States on or before election day must be counted if the Election Office receives it on or before the tenth day after the election. How do I vote absentee in person?  Absentee Ballots are available for over-the-counter voting at the Cambridge Election Office from twenty days before each election, until noon on the day before the election. People with disabilities If you are permanently disabled, you may apply to vote from home.  Send a letter to the Election Office from your doctor, stating that you are permanently unable to cast your ballot at the polling place due to a physical disability. The Election Office will automatically mail you an application for an Absentee Ballot for all elections in a calendar year. You must sign the application and send it back. Designated Health Care Facilities A person who is a patient or resident of a designated health care facility can submit an application any time until the close of polls on election day.  An Election Commissioner will hand-deliver absentee ballots to designated health care facilities.