This is especially important for college students who are usually focused on an academic year and not a calendar year. The parent of a student who is a registered voter in Massachusetts may apply for an absentee ballot on the student's behalf to the clerk or election commission of the city or town where the student is registered. The ballot must be received in the clerk's office before the close of the polls on Election Day. The deadlines vary in each state. In Massachusetts the deadline for applying for an absentee ballot is noon on the day before an election, if you are both applying and voting in person.
Absentee ballots are generally available three weeks before an election.
If you are returning your ballot by mail, the ballot must be received in the clerk's office before the close of the polls on Election Day. With the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act, it is not necessary to have your absentee ballot witnessed. The League of Women Voters is a grassroots organization that has been providing nonpartisan information about elections and voting for over 80 years. Federal Election Commission monitors elections, receives campaign finance reports, compiles election results and voting demographic statistics and has information on voter registration requirements for every state, including which states accept downloaded registration forms.