2024 Presidential Primary

General Voting Information

The Town of Freetown has over 7,260 voters (as of January 18, 2024), divided into three voting precincts based on address. All three precincts vote at the Freetown Elementary School, 43 Bullock Road, in East Freetown.

Voters have three options when it comes to voting in these elections: Vote by Mail, In Person Early Vote, and voting in-person on election day.

Final Voter Registration & Absentee Ballot Information

The deadline for voters not yet registered to vote in Freetown is 5pm on Saturday, February 24th, 2024. The Board of Registrars will be open from 12pm-5pm on that day. No names can be added to the Voter's List except to correct omissions made by clerical error or omission after the Final Voter Registration date. 

Residents can check their voter registration or register to vote any time at the Secretary of the Commonwealth's site.

If you will be away from Freetown on Election Day, have a religious belief that prevents you from voting at the polls on Election Day or have a disability that prevents you from voting at the polls, you qualify to vote absentee for the Annual Town Election, either by mail or in person at the Office of the Town Clerk. Mail-In Absentee Ballot applications are available now and must be received by 5pm on Tuesday, February 27th, 2024. You can also vote absentee in-person during regular business hours at Town Hall by 12:00pm on Monday, March 4th, 2024. Absentee ballots are normally available 3 weeks before an election.

Helpful Links

• Verify your party enrollment (Link will take you to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website)
• Change your party enrollment (link will take you to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Online Voter Registration System website)

Sample Ballots

Sample ballots can be found below.

Vote By Mail

All registered are voters qualified to vote by mail in the 2024 Presidential Primary. 45 days prior to the election, a postcard application will be mailed  by the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office to all registered voters who have not already applied to receive a vote by mail ballot 60 days prior to the election. Voters selecting "All 2024 Elections" or "Presidential Primary 2024" and who return the postcard signed will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters may also apply for a vote by mail ballot online at VoteInMA.com, a website set up by the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office. Additional paper applications can be downloaded here.

Voters are encouraged to apply early to allow ample time for processing your application and for the postal services to deliver your ballot to you. Voters who receive a vote by mail ballot but have not returned it may appear to vote in person at an early voting site or on election day to cast a ballot. Any voter that has returned a vote by mail ballot (or voted early in person) cannot vote on Election Day.

Applications can be returned by mail (postage is pre-paid on the postcard application mailed to you) or placed in the white drop box outside of the Freetown Town Hall (3 North Main Street in Assonet).

Important Notes Regarding Vote By Mail Applications:

• Voters enrolled in the Democratic Party, Libertarian Party or Republican Party who apply for a Vote by Mail ballot will receive that party's ballot only. 
• If a voter is Unenrolled (commonly and formerly referred to as "Independent", or not enrolled in the Democratic Party, Libertarian Party or Republican Party), they must select which party's ballot to receive. If a voter does not choose a party ballot, they will not receive a Vote by Mail ballot for the 2024 Presidential Primary.
  • You can verify your party affiliation by clicking here: Verify your party enrollment
  • If you wish to receive a different party's ballot, you must change your party affiliation to that party or "Unenrolled", where you can then choose your ballot. You can do this by visiting the Board of Registrars in the Office of the Town Clerk during regular business hours, or by doing so online: Change your party enrollment
• The postcard application must be signed to process your application. Questions can be directed to elections@freetownma.gov.

Track Your Application & Ballot

Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Track My Ballot System

Voters who have applied for a vote by mail ballot may use this link to track the status of their application as well as their ballot status (mailed / received back). Please note that we anticipate a large volume of applications and request you allow at least 2 weeks before checking the status of your application and allow a minimum of 10 days to receive your ballot from the status date of mailing. We ask that you DO NOT contact the Town Clerk's Office to check on your status until the recommended amount of time listed above has passed. Inquiries should be sent to elections@freetownma.gov.

Return of Vote by Mail Ballots

Mailed ballots will include a postage pre-paid return ballot envelope that is addressed directly to the Office of the Town Clerk (Town Hall, 3 North Main Street, Assonet). You must return your ballot by mail in accordance with the deadlines below, or hand deliver your ballot to the Office of the Town Clerk or by placing it in the white drop box outside of Town Hall before polls close on Election Day (8pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2024).

Ballots can NOT be returned to the polling location on Election Day – they must be returned to the white drop box outside of Town Hall (3 North Main Street in Assonet). All ballots dropped off on Election Day will be processed and brought to the polls to be cast by the Elections staff (same as the absentee ballot process)

Voters who receive a vote by mail ballot but who have not returned it prior to Election Day may appear to vote in-person and cast a ballot on Election Day. Any voter that has returned a vote by mail ballot (or who voted early in person) is not permitted to appear in to vote in person on Election Day.

Deadlines for Ballots to be Returned and Counted

• Ballots returned in-person to the Office of the Town Clerk or to the white drop box in front of Town Hall (3 North Main Street in Assonet) must be received by 8PM on March 5, 2024.
• Ballots returned by mail must received by the Town Clerk by 8PM on March 5, 2024. Per state regulations, a postmark by this date is not sufficient - ballot must be received by this date in order to be counted.

Please note that the US Postal delivery services are not consistent and delivery can range from 3 to 11 days. It is highly recommended that voters return their ballots in the white drop box outside of Town Hall by 8PM on Election Day to ensure it is counted or allow ample time for delivery by the US Postal Service.

Vote Early In Person

Early voting in person will be available for the 2024 Presidential Primary. An application is not required to vote early in person – you can just show up and vote!

Know Before You Go To Vote

Educated voters will reduce time in the voting booths, reduce lines and crowding at the voting site.

Important: please keep your ballot dry and free from hand sanitizers; wet ballots or ballots with hand sanitizer on them can lead to issues with the vote tabulating machines.

Electioneering During In-Person Early Voting Period

No poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular intended to influence the action of the voter, other than those expressly authorized by G.L. c. 54, § 65, shall be posted, exhibited, circulated or distributed in any polling location (which includes the Office of the Town Clerk/Freetown Town Hall and the Freetown Police Station)and within one hundred and fifty feet (150’) of the building entrance door to said polling locations. These electioneering guidelines include the gathering of signatures.

General Voting FAQ

• Am I a registered voter?
  You can check your voter registration status on line (link will take you to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website). If you are NOT a registered voter, you can register to vote online (link will take you to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Online Voter Registration System website)
   
• Is my voter registration status “active”?
  You can check your voter registration status on line (link will take you to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website).
   
• What is my voting precinct?
  A precinct map for the Town of Freetown can be found at freetownma.gov/votingprecincts
   
• What will I be voting on?
  Sample ballots can be viewed approximately 45 days prior to the primary and the election below.
   
• Will I need an ID?
  Bring an ID. Some voters may need to show an ID to vote. Additionally, using an ID at check in will help expedite the check in/look-up process – our election workers will thank you!

Early Voting (By Mail or In-Person) FAQ:

• If I vote early in person, can I appear to vote in person at the polls on Election Day?
  No. If you appeared to vote early in person, your ballot will be considered cast and you will not be eligible to vote by mail, or in person at the polls on Election Day. Voting in Person at the polls after submitting an early ballot is prohibited, as outlined in 950 CMR 4 7.19.
• When & How is an early voter’s ballot (by mail or in person) cast?
  All vote by mail and in-person early voting ballots will be opened and inserted into a tabulator on election day.These unexamined ballots will be kept secured and locked until Election Day, when they will be escorted to the polls by a member of the Freetown Police Department.