Election Day in Boston: 62,652 ballots were in before polls opened. How tonight's count will work

Boston voters are choosing a governor, a U.S. senator, members of Congress and the Legislature, and nine statewide ballot questions today. Polls are open until 8 p.m. at the city's 275 precincts. Before the polls opened, 62,652 Boston residents had already voted: 15,343 early in person and 47,309 by mail or absentee ballot, according to the city's final Election Day reminders.

That is about 14% of the 443,178 registered voters the Election Department reported last week. A week earlier, the total was 39,352, so more than 23,000 ballots came in during the final week (Oct. 29 release). Statewide, the Secretary of the Commonwealth's office counted 1,168,590 ballots cast as of the morning, or 22.3% turnout, the total of early in-person votes and returned mail ballots, Boston 25 News reported.

This story does not report or project any results. Polls are still open.

If you haven't voted yet

• Find your polling place on the city's polling locations page. Locations are listed by ward and precinct.
• Three cards. The ballot is three double-sided cards. Feed them into the tabulator one at a time, and wait for "System Ready" after each, including the third (city guide).
• Still have a mail ballot? You can't hand it in at a polling place. Drop it in one of the city's ballot drop boxes or bring it to the Election Department, City Hall Room 241, by 8 p.m. If it goes in the mail, it must be postmarked today and arrive by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.
• Language help. Ballot question translations are available in 16 languages. If no interpreter is at your polling place, ask a poll worker to connect you to the city's free Language Assistance Line.
• Accessibility. Every polling place is wheelchair accessible and has an AutoMark voter assist terminal.
• Questions or problems: Call 311.

How the count will come in

The city's release lays out the order:

1. 8 to 9 p.m.: The Election Department posts "Central Tabulation" results first. These are the mail and early in-person ballots processed in advance at City Hall. They are not Election Day votes, so early totals may look different from the final count.
2. Around 10 p.m.: Uploads that combine Election Day and Central Tabulation results begin, and continue until every precinct is in.
3. Later in the week: On-time mail ballots that arrive through Friday are added. The department said last week it expects unofficial precinct-level results by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The department is processing early ballots in City Hall until 11:59 p.m. tonight under a posted public notice. Federal Justice Department monitors are expected in Boston and Lowell, WBUR reported. Our Oct. 30 story covers what observers may and may not do.

What our records add

The council and Election Day. On Oct. 21, the council adopted a resolution making Election Day a holiday for council staff and calling on the city and state to do the same (docket 1975; our story). City Councilor Ed Flynn has since asked the city's Law Department for legal guidance on closing the council for the day. His letter is on Wednesday's agenda (docket 2095; our story).

No city offices on the ballot. Boston's next municipal election is in November 2027. Today's races are state and federal, plus the statewide questions. Our explainer on Questions 7 and 8 covers two that touch city business.

What's next

The council meets Wednesday at noon (agenda), when precinct results should be close to complete. We will report Boston's results once the city posts them.