Early voting in Massachusetts begins Saturday

BOSTON - The ballot boxes are set up as voters in Massachusetts can begin casting their ballots on Saturday, Oct. 19 ahead of Election Day.

Vote early at Boston library

Signs are on display pointing voters into the Boston Public Library on Boylston Street. It's just one of the several locations where people can vote early in the city.

"So you can come, exercise your civic duty as an American citizen, you can check out a book and look at the beautiful art that we have in the McKim Building, you can have tea in the Map Room Tea Room," said Lisa Pollack of the Boston Public Library. "You can even have a cocktail too!"

It's giving people more of an incentive to vote early – beginning on Saturday through Nov. 1.

"By making voting available for a longer period of time and making it available in more locations – that takes some of the burden off of voters," said Professor Chris Galdieri, who teaches political science at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Can you change your mind?

He suggests voting early only if you have your mind made up.

"One of the things about voting is – it's a chore. You have to take time out of your day, go to your polling place, stand in line," said Galdieri. "If you know who you want to vote for and you're set in that decision, there isn't a reason not to vote early."

Once you cast your vote early or by mail, Secretary of State William Galvin's office told WBZ-TV you can't take it back. You can find an early voting location in your city or town here and keep in mind that polling places change daily.

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston will double as an early voting location on Tuesday, Oct. 22.

"It's also super convenient for anyone who's interested in voting in the Seaport area," the ICA's marketing director Colette Randall said. "You can visit the museum and vote."