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Early Voting in the State Election starts Saturday

by Beth Melo on

Above: Details on early voting in person at the Town House, plus what you’re voting on. (photos by Beth Melo)

The November 3rd State Election is in over two weeks, but votes are already being cast. Mail in ballots have been issued, and early in-person voting opens tomorrow (Saturday, October 17th).

So, I’m reminding voters that the Governor and Senate races aren’t the only things you’re running out of time to make up your mind about. In addition to state and regional races, there are also nine ballot questions.

Here’s my overview of what’s on Southborough’s ballots, where to find more details to help you fill in your choices, and how you can cast the ballots once you’re ready.

Scroll down for details on how to vote.

What’s on the ballot
Ballot Questions

This year, the number of questions on the ballot ties with the all time record in our state! Some are complicated/confusing. So, don’t wait until it is time to vote to try to figure out what they mean and what you think! (And if you are voting in-person, it is definitely worth taking a cheat sheet with you.)

One important note — Voting “Yes” on Q 1-7 either establishes new law or advises the legislature on voters’ preference for a new action. But “Yes” on 8 repeals an existing law (on marijuana legalization), while “Yes” on 9 would protect current gun control law (which a “No” vote would repeal).

  • Question 1: Applying public records law to the Legislature and Governor’s office
  • Question 2: Union rights for the state’s public defenders
  • Question 3: Replacing party primaries with a single all-party primary
  • Question 4: Should voters be allowed to register on election day?
  • Question 5: Making automatic tax refunds more frequent and less predictable
  • Question 6: An earmark for conservation and recreation
  • Question 7: Overriding local zoning to increase home construction
  • Question 8: Rolling back marijuana legalization
  • Question 9: Keep or repeal the 2024 gun control law

You can read the full text of each question and the official position summaries from the State’s guide here.

But for more helpful context and data to help you decide how you feel about the merits, I suggest checking out Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis “non-partisan” factual guide here. 

To hear what advocates and proponents have to say about the questions, check out debates moderated by GBH Boston Public Radio. (For some of the questions, there weren’t real debates, when no one was willing to represent the “No” argument. However, GBH did conduct probing interviews with the proponents.)

As for who is running for office on the ballot. . . 

The Candidates

There’s been a lot of media coverage about a potential “Blue Wave” (or “Red Undertow”) across the country. But not everyone picks their candidates solely based on what “team” they’re on.

For those of you who want to know more about who is seeking your vote, and their positions, below are the races with links to debates and other coverage that may be helpful.

U.S. Senator

Markey & Deaton participated in a debate hosted by WBZ on October 13th.

Governor & Lieutenant Governor

Healey & Minogue participated in debates hosted by WBZ on October 8th and WCVB on October 15th. (And Driscoll & Oliver debated on GBH on October 13th.)

Attorney General

There was no real debate. GBH hosted a 1-person debate with Walsh here. (You can view GBH’s most recent interview with Campbell here, which included Campbell’s explanation for why she wouldn’t debate Walsh here.)

 Secretary Of State

There was no real debate, since Galvin never accepted GBH’s invitation. GBH hosted a 1-person debate with Brensley here. (I couldn’t find any recent public interviews with Galvin.) 

Treasurer

There was no real debate, since Goldberg never accepted GBH’s invitation. GBH hosted a 1-person debate with Dionne here. (You can view Goldberg’s recent interview on NBC10 here, with her explanation for why she wouldn’t debate here, and GBH’s angry response here.)

Auditor

There was no debate. (In this case, it appears that none of the news organizations are treating the 3rd party candidate as a viable challenger. I couldn’t find any interviews with Ozonoff. Recently, Dizoglio answered questions on GBH about her Ballot Question, #1, here.) 

Senator in Mass General Court (Middlesex/Worcester District)

Both candidates participated in a forum hosted by the League of Women voters in Wayland on October 9th, and recorded by WayCAM TV.

The following incumbents are also running for re-election on the ballot, but unopposed:

How to Vote

Whether voting by mail or in person, you will be asked to identify which precinct you’re in. If you aren’t sure, you can check that here. (Although, when voting in-person, someone will be able to help you determine that.)

If you never registered to vote, you have until 5:00 pm on Saturday October 24th to change that in time for this election.

If you are a previously registered, but are now listed as an “inactive voter” you can fill out paperwork to reactivate your status. (You will need to bring ID. And if you have been “inactive” for too long, you may now be considered unregistered. See info on the state’s website here, including how to check your status.)

Voting In Person

Election Day voting is at Trottier Middle School’s gym (49 Parkerville Road) on Tuesday, November 3rd from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm.

But, leading up to that, you can vote at the Town House during the following hours:

  • Saturdays, October 17 & 24, 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
  • Weekdays, October 19 – 30, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Voting by mail

To apply for a mail-in ballot, click here. If you already applied for one, you should have received one quickly. (The Town Clerk, Amy Berry, tells me she began delivering them to the Post Office on October 7th and have been continuing to send them out within a date of receiving applications.)

If you haven’t received yours, or want to make sure the Town got your submitted ballot, you can check the status at Track My Ballot. (If you mistakenly only requested the primary and/or Town elections, you’ll need to apply again to get the general election ballot.)

To submit the completed ballot through the mail, make sure to follow the instructions included for how to handle the envelopes. And make sure the outer envelope is postmarked by Tuesday, November 3rd. It’s worth noting that, unless you request it at a post office counter, mail isn’t always postmarked the day it is received. (The postmark may be done days later after being sent to another regional facility for sorting. So make sure not to wait until the 3rd to mail it!)

Alternatively, you can bypass the mail and turn it into the town before 8:00 pm on November 3rd:

  • Southborough Ballot Drop in BoxUse the Drop box outside of the Town House, 17 Common Street
  • Hand deliver it to the Town Clerk’s office inside the Town House, 17 Common St. (They closed at noon today, but reopen at 8:00 am tomorrow
  • Note: Do not bring it into Trottier on November 3rd!
Questions?

You can find more details on voting in Southborough on the Town Clerk’s website here. And, if you still have questions, you can call the Town Clerk’s Office at (508) 485-0710 x 3005 or email townclerk@southboroughma.com.

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