On Tuesday, December 14 Beacon Hill voters will head to the polls during the First Suffolk & Middlesex Special Election Primary and cast their ballots for state senator. The election to fill the seat vacated by Joseph Boncore will take place in the Boston neighborhoods of Beacon Hill, East Boston, the North End, Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Bay Village, the South End as well as Revere, Winthrop and Cambridgeport.
Who is on the Ballot Next Tuesday
On the ballot in next Tuesday’s Special Election are District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Revere School Committee member Anthony D’Ambrosio.
Councilor Edwards, an Eastie resident, previously ran for the Senate seat after former State Senator Anthony Petrucelli left office in 2016. While unsuccessful in that race Edwards went on to run for the District One City Council seat, which includes Eastie, Charlestown, and the North End, the following year. She went on to win that race and has served on the council ever since.
D’Ambrosio, a Revere resident, got his start in politics in 2019 when he successfully ran for Revere School Committee, a citywide seat. He topped Revere’s School Committee ticket in that race and had an impressive showing with more than 5,000 votes during his first run for political office.
Where to Vote in Beacon Hill
The following are the polling locations in Beacon Hill broken down in order of Precincts. All Beacon Hill polling locations will be open between 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14. Ballots will be available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese. Language assistance will be available on Election Day by translators at polling locations or by contacting the Election Department’s translation phone bank.
Ward 5, Precinct 3, State House – 24 Beacon St. Vote in Hearing Room B1 in the basement. Voter entrance on Bowdoin Street through Ashburton Park, Door # 16.
Ward 5, Precinct 4, West End Library – 151 Cambridge St. Vote in the community room.
Ward 5, Precinct 5, Hill House Community Center – 127 Mount Vernon St. Vote in the community room inside fire doors.
In-Person Early Voting
In-person early voting for the December 14 Primary began in Boston on Saturday, December 4. Voters will still be able to vote early in-person for the senate race at City Hall on Thursday, December 9 from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Friday, December 10: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Note that Friday is the last day of in-person early voting.
Vote by Mail Ballots Drop Boxes
The City of Boston has also installed ballot drop boxes for voters to drop off completed vote by mail ballots.
The Ballot Drop Box location closest to Beacon Hill would be on the first and third floor entrances of Boston City Hall. All drop boxes are monitored under 24 hour video surveillance. Drop boxes will also be available at each early voting location during the scheduled voting hours.
Applications for vote by mail ballots have been mailed out to every registered voter in Boston. Voters are asked to fill out the application, including their signature, as applications received without a signature will not be accepted.
Vote by mail applications can be returned by U.S. mail with the prepaid postcard or in-person at the Boston Election Department, City Hall, Room 241.
If a registered Boston voter did not receive or lost their application, they can request a new ballot application by completing the form available on the City’s vote-by-mail website. The form can be sent to the City of Boston’s Election Department, via mail, email, fax, or in-person. The Boston Election Department is located at Boston City Hall, City Hall Square, Room 241, Boston, MA 02201. Fax: 617-635-4483, Tel: 617-635-VOTE (8683). Email: [email protected]
Vote By Mail
The Election Department sent out vote by mail ballots to those who requested one. Once a voter receives their ballot package, they should follow the enclosed instructions. It is important to sign the yellow ballot affidavit envelope. Unsigned ballot affidavit envelopes will cause a ballot to be rejected. To return ballots by U.S. mail, make sure to apply sufficient postage. While ballot package weight can vary, two First Class stamps is generally sufficient.
To be counted, ballots must be received by the Boston Election Department or in a ballot drop box by the close of polls on Election Day, Tuesday, December 14 at 8 p.m.
Tracking Your Ballot
Boston voters can track their ballot request through the state’s website. For more information on how to participate in the Special Election, please visit boston.gov/election.