Election 2020: A Complete Guide To Voting In MA

Lexington MA

16 October, 2020

4:31 PM

Description

Voters in Massachusetts will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election. In addition to the presidential and congressional races, there are several key races at the state and local level, as well as two ballot questions. Voting will be different this year thanks to rules approved to expand early and mail-in voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 24. You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where you can also find your polling place. There are several ways residents can vote: Mail-In VotingVote-by-mail applications must be received by your town/city clerk by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Ballots can be returned by mail, emailed, faxed or returned by hand to the clerk's office. They can also be returned at the drop boxes in town. Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 3 and returned to the local election office no later than Nov. 6. Early VotingVoters have the option of early, in-person voting. Early voting runs from Oct. 17-30 but dates and times can vary by town and city. You can find the early voting location and times for your town online. Voting on Election DayPolls in Massachusetts are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can also use the Secretary of State's website to find your polling place. Key RacesThe following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot: President/Vice PresidentJoe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) - Incumbent U.S. SenateEdward Markey (Democrat) - IncumbentKevin O'Connor (Republican)Andre Gray (Green)Frederick Mayock (independent) Ballot QuestionsQuestion 1: "Right To Repair" Vehicle Access Requirement Initiative Yes: 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.