Absentee Ballot Application   (PDF)

Absentee Ballot Application for a Family Member (PDF)

Absentee Voters

Voters who are unable to vote on Election Day because of physical disability, religious belief, or absence from the Town while the polls are open, may vote by absentee ballot. State law limits the availability of absentee ballots to these three listed circumstances only. Absentee ballots are not available for mere convenience, or because of ordinary commuting-related difficulties. Massachusetts does not have "early voting".  If you will be absent from Brookline for an extended period of time, you may submit a single application for all elections occurring within the year the application is accepted.

Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained from the Town Clerk's office or the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Applications may be submitted in person, or by mail. The voter, or a "family member" (father, mother, sister, brother, son, daughter, grandparent, grandchild, a spouse or person residing in the same household, in-laws, adopting parent or adopted child, stepparent or stepchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew), may submit an application for another. The voter or family member must sign all applications under the pains and penalties of perjury. PDF versions are available above for download.

In primary elections, a voter who is not registered in a political party must specify the ballot of the party of choice in the application. In all primaries, both state and presidential, you will not become registered in a party because of your participation.

Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the Town Clerk before 12:00 noon the day before an election. (A voter who is admitted to a health care facility after noon of the fifth day before an election may apply for a ballot up until the close of the polls and may request to have the ballot delivered.) Absentee ballots generally are available three to four weeks before an election.

Permanently disabled Voters

A voter who is permanently disabled need not submit a request for an absentee ballot every election. If such a voter submits a note from a registered physician indicating that they are disabled permanently, the Town Clerk's office will send an application for an absentee ballot each year, to the voter's address, where the voter will complete and sign the application and check the box indicating "all elections". Upon receipt of the signed application, the Town Clerk will send the voter an absentee ballot for each election held that year.

If the voter submits an application in person, he may obtain the ballot (call first to see if it is available) and vote over-the-counter. If the ballot is not available, it will be sent to the voter by mail when available. In all other instances, the ballot is required to be sent by first class mail - even when an application is submitted in person by a family member. Ballots may be returned by mail or in person by the voter or a family member. All ballots must be signed by the voter, or if the voter is unable to sign, an assisting person.

Specially Qualified Voters

In addition to registered voters, certain "specially qualified voters" may vote by absentee ballot. Under federal law, a "specially qualified voter" is a person who is a Massachusetts citizen, living outside of the United States, who is at least eighteen years old and whose last residence in the United States was Massachusetts. They are eligible to vote in elections in the community where they last resided. Under Massachusetts law, you also may be a "specially qualified voter" if you are otherwise eligible to be a registered voter and your present domicile (a place where you live and plan to remain) is Massachusetts and you are: out of town because you are in the active service of the armed forces or merchant marine of the United States, or a spouse or dependent of such a person; absent from the Commonwealth; or confined in a correctional facility or jail and not convicted of a felony.