Boston voters have begun voting by mail for the preliminary election featuring a five-way mayoral election and dozens of people running for at-large and district seats on the City Council.

Early balloting at polling locations starts this Saturday, Sept. 4, and runs through Fri., Sept. 10. The preliminary is Tues., Sept. 14.
Only registered voters in Boston can vote to cast their ballots before Sept. 14. Voters, who don’t need to give a reason for voting early, can cast their ballots at any location provided by city officials.

Boston City Hall will be the main early voting location, with others sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods.

Editorial: Vote early, but not prematurely, in municipal election

Voting by mail is also an option. Voters have been sent a mailing from the city to apply for vote-by-mail ballots. Once the ballot package arrives, the voter must follow instructions, such as signing the yellow ballot affidavit envelope, since unsigned envelopes will be rejected. Two first class stamps are also recommended.

Twenty ballot drop boxes will be set up across the city, at each early voting location, for completed ballots. The boxes are monitored for security, and for ballots to count, they must be received by the Elections Department or in a ballot drop box by the close of polls on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m.

Early voting and vote-by-mail voting will return for the Nov. 2 final election.

Sat., Sept. 4
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Paris Street 112 Paris Street, East Boston, MA 02128
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – James F Condon Elementary School 200 D Street, South Boston, MA 02127
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Richard J Murphy School, 1 Worrell Street, Dorchester, MA 02122
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – ABCD Thelma D. Burns Building, 575 Warren Street, Dorchester, MA 02121
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Another Course to College, 612 E Metropolitan Avenue, Hyde Park, MA 02136
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Roch, 1716 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Shelburne, 2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Jackson Mann School, 500 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA 02134
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Quincy, 885 Washington Street, Chinatown, MA 02111

Sun., Sept. 5
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. BCYF Paris Street, 112 Paris Street, East Boston, MA 02128
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – James F Condon Elementary School, 200 D Street, South Boston, MA 02127
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Richard J Murphy School, 1 Worrell Street, Dorchester, MA 02122
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – ABCD Thelma D. Burns Building, 575 Warren Street, Dorchester, MA 02121
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Another Course to College, 612 E Metropolitan Avenue, Hyde Park, MA 02136
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Roche, 1716 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – BCYF Shelburne, 2730 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. – Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Jackson Mann School, 500 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA 02134
11 a.m. - 7 p.m. BCYF Quincy, 885 Washington Street, Chinatown, MA 02111

Tues., Sept. 7
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. – City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
12 to 8 p.m. – BCYF Tobin, 1481 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02120
12 to 8 p.m. – Harvard/Kent School, 50 Bunker Hill Street, Charlestown, MA 02129
12 to 8 p.m. – Margarita Muniz Academy, 20 Child Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
12 to 8 p.m. – BCYF Mildred Ave Community Center, 5 Mildred Ave, Mattapan, MA 02126

Wed., Sept. 8
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – City Hal, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
Thurs., Sept. 9
9 a.m. - 8 p.m. – City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201
12 - 8 p.m. – Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church 39 Belgrade Avenue, Roslindale, MA 02131
12 - 8 p.m. – District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA 02210
12 - 8 p.m. BCYF Perkins, 155 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124
12 - 8 p.m. – The Salvation Army Boston Kroc Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, MA 02125

Fri., Sept. 10
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201

The list is also available at https://www.boston.gov/departments/elections/vote-early-boston.