Good morning and welcome to Election Day. I’m Anjali Huynh, a political reporter for the Globe. You may be surprised to see Starting Point today. Because of the election, we’ll publish M-F this week, with an emphasis on information, results, and the aftermath.
Today, our reporters are visiting polling places all day, bringing you voters’ thoughts from across New England. We also have a sample of questions and answers about Massachusetts’ ballot questions from a recent “Ask Me Anything” by Globe reporters on Reddit.
But first, let’s go over what Massachusetts voters should know about today’s election, with information from our Voter Guide.
TODAY’S STARTING POINT | A Voter Guide
It’s finally here.
After months of endless campaign ads, social media memes, and texts urging you to donate, Massachusetts voters are weighing in on everything from a historic presidential election to the legalization of magic mushrooms.
About 1.7 million Massachusetts voters have already made their choices via early and mail-in voting, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin. Galvin said Monday that he expects Massachusetts turnout will break the 2020 record of nearly 3.7 million participants.
Voters have until 8 tonight to cast ballots — if you’re in line by that time, you can still vote. If you’re still unsure where to go, you can find your election information here. It’s too late to register to vote, but if you’re voting in Massachusetts for the first time, or you’re listed as an inactive voter, you’ll have to show identification when heading to the polls.
All eyes will be on the race at the top of the ticket, where Vice President Kamala Harris is looking to keep former president Donald Trump from winning a second term in the Oval Office. That race isn’t particularly competitive in Massachusetts, a reliably-blue state that Harris is expected to win. But the campaigns, and those of us watching along, will be especially focused on what happens in seven key battleground states, where the two candidates are locked in a dead heat: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
We’ll post election results here as they come in.
On the local front, the most hotly-contested races aren’t for a particular seat. Rather, advocates have spent millions of dollars for and against five ballot questions that could affect aspects of daily life from nixing a high school graduation requirement to promoting state government transparency.
Here’s an overview of those questions. A “yes” vote would support the measures being proposed below; “no” would keep the status quo:
- Question 1 asks voters whether the state auditor’s office should have the authority to audit the state Legislature. Here’s a video explainer.
- Question 2 seeks to get rid of a public school requirement that high school students pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as MCAS, standardized tests to graduate. Video explainer
- Question 3 would give Uber and Lyft drivers the right to organize a union. Video explainer
- Question 4 lets voters decide whether people 21 and older can grow, use, and share five psychedelic substances found in mushrooms or plants. It would also allow for licensed psychedelic therapy centers to sell them for on-site, supervised consumption. Video explainer
- Question 5 aims to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers in Massachusetts, such as servers, to $15 an hour. It would also allow tips to be pooled with other workers who aren’t customer facing, such as cooks. Video explainer
In Massachusetts races, US Senator Elizabeth Warren is facing John Deaton, a personal injury attorney and cryptocurrency advocate who has tried to run as an anti-Trump Republican. The two have sparred over immigration, the economy, and virtually every other issue as Deaton faces an uphill battle to unseat the two-term senator. We took a look at Warren’s record during her most recent term in office.
Of Massachusetts’ nine congressional representatives – all Democrats – only four have Republican or Independent challengers: Richard Neal in the First district, Jim McGovern in the Second, Stephen Lynch in the Eighth District, and Bill Keating in the Ninth.
You can find more information about all the candidates and topics on your ballot in our full 2024 Voter Guide.
POINTS OF INTEREST | Election edition
AT POLLING PLACES In response to threats, officials across the country have transformed their tabulation centers into fortresses and trained election workers in de-escalation tactics. But the real election risk could come later, in the period between the vote-counting and the release of confirmed results. (The Atlantic).
ON TV In the final hours before voters finish casting their ballots, the closing messages from the presidential candidates are coming in the form of digital ads. Here’s an overview of what they’re trying to convey. (The New York Times)
SPRINGFIELD New England Public Media, which serves western Mass., has a Spanish-language version of its website with thorough coverage of the election, including ballot question explainers. Here’s their take on Question 5. (NEPM)
NEW HAMPSHIRE Two voters who cast their ballots for Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary earlier this year have landed on different candidates for president. Their reasons why are part of a broader trend between the two parties — the gender gap among voters. (The Boston Globe)
IN THE VOTING BOOTH About 20 percent of people are in marriages where their political party is different from their spouse’s. If the rift between men and women widens, abortion could be part of the reason. (The 19th)
MASSACHUSETTS Commonwealth Beacon writers and editors have an interesting take on the state’s five ballot questions: They point out that every one involves work: the workplace or a workforce. They discussed it on a recent Codcast. (Commonwealth Beacon)
PENNSYLVANIA The state’s high court still won’t issue a definitive ruling on whether undated ballots should be counted, which means they won’t be counted for this election. The status of undated mail ballots has roiled Pennsylvania for years. (Politico)
WISCONSIN Vice President Kamala Harris is deploying star power in the final stretch of her campaign, appearing on stage with an assortment of rappers and singers designed to appeal to a big tent of voters. Here’s why that matters. (The Boston Globe)
PENNSYLVANIA Former President Donald Trump on Sunday talked about reporters being shot and said he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after his 2020 loss. His remarks built on violent rhetoric and conspiracies he has promoted during the campaign. (AP)
ONLINE A network of conservative activists and conspiracy theorists promoting election denialism has grown online. They’re preparing to fight the 2024 results, this time with a tech billionaire on their side. (The Washington Post)
ON THE BIG SCREEN From a young Katie Holmes in “First Daughter” to the mistaken identity film “Dave,” there are several politics-related comedies and rom-coms that may help ease your election tension. (CNN)
IN YOUR WALLET Free donuts and frozen yogurts, discounts on rides and pizza. Companies like Uber, Lyft, Krispy Kreme, and Ikea are offering deals and freebies today. So vote and then reward yourself. (Quartz)
ASK ME ANYTHING | The Massachusetts ballot questions
A team of Boston Globe reporters covering the 2024 election recently answered questions about the statewide questions on the social media forum Reddit. Here’s a sample:
Q. NewtPlenty7234: It seems like there’s a lot of barriers to providing the Auditor with the power needed to audit the legislature (AG veto, court challenges, etc.).
If the ballot passes, what are the biggest hurdles that we’ll need to overcome, practically, so that the audit moves forward? How can the public best support these actions?
Globe reporter Matt Stout: If the question passes, it may depend on what the auditor seeks to actually audit. But any move to compel the Legislature to participate with an audit under a new law could prompt a legal challenge, moving it to the courts to decide what the state auditor’s office can, and cannot, audit. Given the Legislature’s opposition to any audit over the last two years, that feels like the likely path.
Q. travisofarabia: Related to Question 5: We know that large corporations that own chain restaurants are funneling significant money into the state for a ‘no’ vote on question 5.
In your reporting, how do small, independent restaurants view the question, and what is the real sentiment of wait staff?
Studies have shown that tipping culture has not changed much in states with similar minimum wage laws; however, tipping now is a near mandatory courtesy; how do you think Massachusetts customers will react, and what effect could we see on tipping culture should question 5 pass?
Globe reporter Diti Kohli: It’s a mixed bag, for sure. Some independent restaurants, like Juliet in Somerville, already pay its tipped employees at or above the $15 minimum wage and have built that into their business model. But many other business owners say their restaurants will fail if the question passes.
There is little evidence that the ballot question passing would severely decrease the amount of tips servers and bartenders receive. Research from UMass Amherst shows that tipped workers in states with no subminimum wage earn more than tipped workers in states where there is a difference between the minimum wage for tipped and non-tipped workers. That said, a good number of servers and bartenders are worried about their tips going down regardless.
Q. peteysweetusername: In the past the legislature has modified ballot questions, most recently they delayed the implementation of the legalization of pot stores. Is there anything that prevents the legislature from overturning question one if it passes?
Globe reporter Matt Stout: There is nothing stopping the Legislature from overturning most ballot questions. Some, like the one that passed in 2022 creating the so-called millionaires tax, are constitutional amendments, which go through a whole different process just to make the ballot, including needing some level of legislative approval. But all five statewide ballot questions this year are proposed laws, meaning they could be amended or repealed should the Legislature want to.
Here’s the full back-and-forth on Reddit.
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Anjali Huynh can be reached at anjali.huynh@globe.com.