Above: Details on voting in person, or returning your mail-in ballot, plus what you’re voting on. (photos by Beth Melo)
Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 5th) is the deadline for casting votes in the big election. So, I’m reminding voters that the Presidential race isn’t the only thing you’re running out of time to make up your mind about. In addition to state and regional races, there are also five questions.
Here’s my reminder of what’s on Southborough’s ballots and how you can cast them.
What’s on the ballot
Ballot Questions
Don’t find yourself scrambling to figure things out in the voting booth (which is really a cubicle).
A quick Google search on the ballot questions will pull up a slew of opinions on which way to vote. The links I’m including below are just to help you understand the basic details and debate around each question:
- Question 1: Authorization of State Auditor to Audit General Court Initiative
- Question 2: Repeal Competency Assessment Requirement for High School Graduation Initiative:
- Question 3: Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Transportation Network Drivers Initiative:
- Question 4: Regulated Access to Psychedelic Substances Initiative:
- Question 5: Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Initiative:
You can read the full text of each question here. And Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis put together additional “non-partisan” factual context for each question here.
For more on the arguments by the Yes and No sides, check out debates moderated by WBUR and GBH Boston Public Radio. The exception is for Question 3, which didn’t have debates. (GBH did host a discussion with a proponent, but no one had volunteered to be the official NO side.)
If you want more context on Q3, you can read interesting coverage on the industry’s public stances on the measure by the Boston Globe here. (That article didn’t note that the Globe’s Editorial Board took a YES stance on the question.)
As for who is running. . .
The Candidates
We all know that the Presidential ticket is on the ballot. Some voters may not realize there are more than two parties vying for votes. In Massachusetts, voters can choose from electors for:
- Ayyadurai and Ellis, Independent
- De La Cruz and Garcia, Socialism and Liberation
- Harris and Walz, Democratic
- Kennedy and Shanahan, We the People
- Oliver and Ter Maat, Libertarian
- Stein and Caballero-Roca, Green-Rainbow Party
- Trump and Vance, Republican
There are three other contests on Southborough’s ballot:
Senator In Congress (U.S. Senate):
The candidates participated in debates hosted by WBZ and WGBH.
- Elizabeth Ann Warren (candidate for re-election), Democratic
- John Deaton, Republican
Representative In Congress (U.S. House Of Representatives):
The Telegram covered the race, summarizing candidates’ purported positions here.
- James P. McGovern (candidate for re-election), Democratic
- Cornelius Shea, Independent
Representative In General Court (State Representative for the 19th Worcester District):
- Kate Donaghue (candidate for re-election), Democratic
- Boyd Stewart Conklin, Massachusetts Great Again
Other candidates uncontested on our ballot are:
- Councillor (Governor’s Council, 3rd District): Mara Dolan, Democratic
- Senator In General Court (State Senator for the Middlesex & Worcester District): James B. Eldridge (candidate for re-election), Democratic
- Clerk Of Courts, for Worcester County): Dennis P. Mcmanus (candidate for re-election), Democratic
- Register Of Deeds, for Worcester District): Kathryn A. Toomey (candidate for re-election), Democratic
Voting
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. There will also be workers/volunteers on site at in-person voting to help you determine that.
If you never registered to vote, it’s too late for this election. But, if you are a previously registered but now “inactive voter” you can fill out paperwork at the polling place to reactivate your status. You will need to bring ID. (Warning: 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 5th from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm.
Voting by mail
I you applied for and received a vote-by-mail ballot that you haven’t submitted yet, you still have time to turn that in (though, the sooner, the better.)
If you prefer, you could recycle your ballot and vote in person on Tuesday instead. (Just, do not bring your mail-in ballot with you. That’s prohibited by state law.)
The ballots must be sealed inside the brown envelope and signed.
To submit the ballots through the mail place the brown envelope inside the white postage-paid envelope. And make sure they are postmarked by Tuesday, November 5th. Domestic must also be received by Friday, November 8th. (Mail from outside of the US gets a longer grace period for arriving by November 15th. But, again, the postmark deadline is the 5th.)
Alternatively, you can bypass the mail and turn it into the town before 8:00 pm on November 5th. But, the Town Clerk’s office is stressing please do that as soon as possible:
Use 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 close at 5:00 pm today, but reopen at 7:00 am on Tuesday, closing at 5:00 pm.)
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.
