Members of political parties may vote only in their own party's primary elections. Unenrolled voters (commonly referred to as "Independents") and members of political designations or minor parties may vote in the party primary of their choice. Choosing to vote in a particular party's primary does not enroll you as a member of that party.

You may vote by absentee ballot in Massachusetts if:

• You will be absent from your city or town on Election Day.
• You have a physical disability that prevents you from voting at the polling place.
• You cannot vote at the polls due to religious beliefs
• You are confined in a correctional facility or jail on something OTHER than a felony charge

Generally, a voter must be registered in order to vote absentee, though several exceptions exist: Those outside of Massachusetts, prisoners, and members of the armed forces or merchant marine, or their spouses or dependents, do not need to be registered in order to vote absentee.

You may need to show ID if one of the following applies to you:

• You’re voting for the first time in Massachusetts
• You registered by mail and are voting for the first time
• Your registration status is inactive because you haven’t voted recently
• The poll worker has some reasonable suspicion that leads them to request ID
• You have to complete a provisional or challenged ballot at the polls

If asked to show an ID to a poll worker, you may show one of the following documents that show your name and address:

• A Massachusetts driver’s license
• A Massachusetts-issued ID
• A recent utility bill
• A signed lease
• A rent receipt
• A copy of a voter registration affidavit
• Any other printed identification which contains the voter's name and address