Election Information
2026 Fall Election Information
Important Dates to Know
State Primary: September 1, 2026
State General Election: November 3, 2026
Voting is available from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm at the Hawkes Fieldhouse at Reading Memorial High School.
Last Day to register to vote: October 24, 2026, by 5:00 pm
Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed: October 27, 2026, by 5:00 pm
Deadline to request an absentee ballot to be mailed: October 27, 2026, by 5:00 pm
Deadline to request an absentee ballot in person: November 2, 2026, by 12:00 pm
When are the elections happening?
Early Voting Information
Available at Reading Town Hall, 16 Lowell Street
Saturday, October 17: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday, October 19: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, October 20: 7:30 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, October 21: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Thursday, October 22: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Friday, October 23: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, October 24: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday, October 26: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Tuesday, October 27: 7:30 am - 7:00 pm
Wednesday, October 28: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Thursday, October 29: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Friday, October 30: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Meet the Candidates
Several races will appear on the ballot this fall, and we’ve put together a page for each one so you can get to know the people asking for your vote. Follow the links below to view the candidates in each race, read their backgrounds, and learn where they stand before you head to the polls.
2026 Ballot Questions: A voter’s guide
Massachusetts voters will decide nine statewide ballot questions in the November 3 midterm elections, from public records access to marijuana legalization to a referendum on the state’s 2024 firearm law. The Reading Observer is publishing a series walking through each question, drawing on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s official voter guide, to explain what a yes or no vote means and how it would affect residents. Coverage is added below as each installment is published.