Voting In Worcester: Polls Now Open

Worcester MA

03 November, 2020

7:02 AM

Description

WORCESTER, MA — Election Day 2020 in Worcester is here, even though voting has been going on for weeks in what is shaping up to be a historic election. In addition to casting votes for President, U.S. House, U.S. Senator and on two statewide ballot questions in Massachusetts, Worcester voters made decisions on the county Register of Probate race between incumbent Republican Stephanie Fattman and Democratic challenger John Dolan III. There was also an interesting contest for the 7th District Governor's Council seat. Democrat Paul DePalo won the September primary to appear on the ballot, but Worcester mortician Peter Stefan, who owns the Graham Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlor, mounted a write-in campaign. "They feel like government is dead, that they have no voice," Stefan told the Athol Daily News in September. "My primary goal is to be the voice of these people, as well as all of the residents of Worcester County." Voting will be different this year thanks to rules approved to expand early and mail-in voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. There are several ways residents can vote: Mail-In Voting Ballots can be returned by mail or by hand to the clerk's office. They can also be returned to the drop boxes outside Worcester City Hall, or at any fire station in the city. Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 3 and returned to the local election office no later than Nov. 6. Regular voting Worcester has dozens of polling places this year, and each one will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Find your polling place on the city of Worcester website. Here are the races Worcester voters will be deciding in the election: President/Vice President Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) House of Representatives 2nd Congressional District (i) Jim McGovern (D)Tracy Lovvorn (R) U.S. Senate (i) Edward Markey (D)Kevin O'Connor (R)Andre Gray (Green)Frederick Mayock (I) Ballot Questions Question 1: "Right To Repair" Vehicle Access Requirement InitiativeYes: A yes vote would require carmakers to expand access to mechanical data for all cars sold in Massachusetts beginning with model year 2022.No: A no vote leaves the 2013 right-to-repair law unchanged. Question 2: Ranked-Choice Voting InitiativeYes: A yes vote favors adopting a system gives voters the option of ranking candidates on their ballot in order of preference, as opposed to selecting just one. And if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the least first-choice votes is eliminated, and the voters who preferred that candidate have their votes reallocated based on their second choices. Then the ballots are recounted and the process is repeated until one candidate breaks the 50 percent threshold.No: A no vote keeps the current system in place. Governor's Council 7th District Paul DePalo Write-in Massachusetts State Senate Middlesex and Worcester District James Eldridge (D) 1st Worcester District Harriette Chandler (D) 2nd Worcester District Michael Moore (D) Massachusetts House of Representatives 13th Worcester District John Mahoney (D) 14th Worcester District James O'Day (D) 15th Worcester District Mary Keefe (D) 16th Worcester District Daniel Donahue (D) 17th Worcester District David LeBoeuf (D) Register of Probate Worcester County (i) Stephanie Fattman (R)John Dolan III (D)