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Election 2024: Your guide to Massachusetts’ November election

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Election 2024: Your guide to Massachusetts’ November election


Massachusetts residents will have the chance to vote on key federal, statewide and legislative races during the Nov. 5 national election.

That includes the race for the White House between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.

Two members of the Bay State’s all-Democratic U.S. House delegation are facing Republican challengers.

Most of the lawmakers in Massachusetts’ 200-member state Legislature are expected to coast to reelection on Election Day.

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Still, 54 lawmakers in the state House and 14 lawmakers in the state Senate will face opposition at the polls.

There also are contests for the Governor’s Council, a little-understood panel that traces its roots to the Colonial era and plays a key role in state government such as confirming judicial nominations and gubernatorial appointments.

Voters also will have their say on five ballot questions on issues ranging from whether to legalize psychedelics to raising the minimum wage for tipped workers.

(Meredith Perri/MassLive)Meredith Perri

How to register to vote — and vote

Here are some of the key dates to remember if you want to vote in the general election:

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  • Deadline for presidential election voter registration: Oct. 26
  • Deadline for presidential election vote-by-mail application: Oct. 29
  • General election date: Nov. 5. Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

You can confirm you’re already registered to vote by going to the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s website. Enter your name, date of birth, and ZIP code to find out if your voting status is active.

If you have a signature on file with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can register online, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

You can also pre-register, update your address, update your name and change your political party designation.

Voter registration forms can be printed at this link. The form must be filled out and signed, then mailed to a prospective voter’s local election office and postmarked by the voter registration deadline.

Those registering to vote in Massachusetts for the first time should include a copy of identification with the applicant’s name and address. If a copy is not included, one must be presented the first time voting.

To find a local polling location, voters can enter their address on the Secretary of Commonwealth’s website. This will show their precinct number, ward number and the address of where they can vote.

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The Big Races

Below we’ve highlighted the key races and questions that Massachusetts voters will decide this fall.

We’ve also included links to MassLive’s top coverage of this year’s candidates and ballot measures to help you make informed decisions.

Trump Harris

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)AP

The race for the White House

At the top of the ticket, Harris faces Trump in a historic contest.

And that’s true no matter which candidate you support.

If Trump, making his third White House bid, comes out on top, he will be the first president in American history to win an election as the nation’s chief executive after being convicted of a crime, and while still facing pending legal matters.

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If Harris wins, she will become the first woman and first woman of color to occupy the Oval Office.

The race was dramatically reshaped after President Joe Biden scuttled his reelection bid in July after a faltering debate performance against Trump weeks before.

Trump survived an attempt on his life during a rally in western Pennsylvania, just days before formally accepting the GOP’s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Harris, who rocketed to the top of the ticket after Biden’s exit, formally accepted her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Trump’s running-mate is U.S. Sen J.D. Vance, R-Ohio. Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

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Key coverage from the race:

Trump injured but ‘fine’ after assassination attempt; shooter, 1 other dead

U.S. Sen. JD Vance chosen as Trump’s vice-presidential running mate

President Joe Biden drops out of the 2024 race, throws support behind VP Kamala Harris

In Biden’s speech, a challenge. Are Americans up to it? | John L. Micek

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Who is Kamala Harris? 5 things to know about the vice president and White House candidate

Kamala Harris bets on everyman Tim Walz to win. Mass. Dems weigh in | John L. Micek

In Boston, Dem Veep candidate Tim Walz tells firefighters we ‘have your back’

After Tim Walz addresses firefighters union, JD Vance makes his pitch in Boston

Trump-Harris 2024: What Mass. pols are watching for in Tuesday’s debate | John L. Micek

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U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. (L) and Republican John Deaton (R) will face each other in the Nov. 5 general election (Photos by Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican; Sophie Markham / Special to The Republican. MassLive photo collage by Chris McLaughlin).

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Republican John Deaton will face each other in the Nov. 5 General Election (Photos by Hoang ‘Leon’ Nguyen/The Republican; Sophie Markham/Special to The Republican. MassLive photo collage by Chris McLaughlin).Chris McLaughlin

The U.S. Senate race

Two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Cambridge faces Republican John Deaton, a cryptocurrency lawyer from Swansea, who’s making his first bid for federal office.

Deaton, buoyed by a wave of cash from Big Tech, beat out two other candidates in the Sept. 3 primary election to win the Republican nomination.

Still, Deaton will face an uphill battle against Warren, a deeply entrenched and well-funded pol, who’s running for reelection in heavily Democratic Massachusetts.

Democrats have attacked Deaton’s residency — he’s a Rhode Island transplant — and his ties to the cryptocurrency industry. Deaton has painted Warren as out-of-touch with Bay State voters.

Polling in the race has been scant. But a June UMass/WCVB-TV poll highlighted Deaton’s challenge.

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A third (36%) of its Republican and unaffiliated respondents said they didn’t know which of the three GOP hopefuls to support. None of the GOP hopefuls polled above 19%.

Warren led Deaton 47%-24% in a hypothetical head-to-head match-up in the same poll.

Key coverage from the race:

Who is John Deaton, the long-shot Republican trying to unseat Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren?

Crypto is spending big money in the GOP race for US Senate in Mass. Here’s why | John L. Micek

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Mass. Primary 2024: John Deaton wins GOP U.S. Senate primary

Warren v. Deaton: The two big things about Mass.’ U.S. Senate race | John L. Micek

U.S. Capitol

The U.S Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo)AP

The U.S. House of Representatives

All nine members of the Bay State’s all-Democrat U.S. House delegation are on the ballot, and running for reelection for another two-year term on Capitol Hill.

They are:

  • U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-1st District
  • U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-2nd District
  • U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-3rd District
  • U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-4th District
  • U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-5th District
  • U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton D-6th District
  • U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District
  • U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-8th District
  • U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, D-9th District

Just two lawmakers, Lynch and Keating, will have Republican challengers at the polls on Nov. 5.

Lynch will face Robert Burke, a videographer from Milton, who is mounting his second challenge. Lynch has represented the Boston-based seat since 2013.

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Keating, who has represented the South Shore-based 9th District — spanning Quincy, the Cape and Islands and New Bedford — since 2013, faces Dan Sullivan, a nurse from Manomet.

A view of the Massachusetts State House, from the steps on Boston Common (MassLive photo by John L. Micek).

A view of the Massachusetts State House, from the steps on Boston Common (John L. Micek/MassLive).John L. Micek

The state Legislature

As we noted above, there are 54 contested House races and 14 contested Senate races this year.

Democrats control both the 40-member state Senate and the 160-member state House. And while there is some competition on the ballot this year, an overwhelming majority of state lawmakers are expected to have smooth sailing on the way to re-election on Nov. 5.

Key coverage:

Primary 2024: Most Mass. state lawmakers will coast to reelection. Here are races worth watching

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MassLive’s updated list of state lawmakers who aren’t running for reelection in 2024

A photo of the entrance to the Massachusetts Governor's Council's chambers on the third floor of the State House in Boston, Mass. (John L. Micek/MassLive).

The entrance to the Massachusetts Governor’s Council’s chambers on the third floor of the State House in Boston, Mass. (John L. Micek/MassLive).John L. Micek

The Governor’s Council

If you are like most Massachusetts voters, the chances are you don’t give much thought to the Governor’s Council.

But if you must, think of this colonial-era throwback as the Bay State’s political equivalent to Schrödinger’s Cat.

In other words, you know it’s there, and it’s probably doing stuff. But you still need to crack the lid now and then to make sure.

The elected body, also known as the Executive Council, serves a low-profile but very important purpose in state government: It acts on pardons and commutations, confirms judicial nominations and gubernatorial appointments to a host of boards and commissions, according to the state’s website.

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There are only three contested races for the eight seats on the council, according to Ballotpedia.

Those races are:

District 2: Tamisha Civil (D); Francis T. Crimmins Jr. (R)

District 5: Eunice Ziegler (D); Anne Manning-Martin (R)

District 7: Paul DePalo (D); Andrew Couture (R)

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Incumbent Councilors Joseph C. Ferreira (District 1); Christopher A. Iannella (District 4), and Terrence W. Kennedy (District 6), are running without opposition.

Newly elected Councilor Mara Dolan, who defeated incumbent Councilor Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney in the Sept. 3 primary, also is running without general election opposition, according to Ballotpedia.

Key coverage:

What is the Massachusetts Governor’s Council? Who’s on it? What does it do? | John L. Micek

Mass Primary 2024: Governor’s Council primaries: Results from 3 contested races

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Mass. Primary 2024: Mara Dolan wins Governor’s Council 3rd District race

Uber and Lyft

Uber and Lyft stickers are seen on a ride-share vehicle on Aug. 30, 2024. Question 3 on the Massachusetts ballot in November, if passed, would allow ride-share drivers to unionize. (George Walker IV/AP Photo)AP

The Ballot Questions

Voters also will have their say on five ballot questions spanning a variety of issues.

Question 1: Whether to authorize the state auditor to audit the state Legislature, and remove some existing regulations regarding the auditing process.

Question 2: Whether to repeal the requirement that students must achieve a certain competency level on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam to graduate high school.

Question 3: Whether to provide for unionizing and collective bargaining for transportation network drivers.

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Question 4: Regulating access to psychedelic substances.

Question 5: Whether to gradually increase the wage of tipped employees until it meets the state minimum wage in 2029 and still permit tipping in addition to the minimum wage.

Key Coverage:

Now it’s up to voters: Can Diana DiZoglio audit the Legislature?| John L. Micek

Fresh off 2023 wins, advocates eye hiking Mass.’ tipped wage in 2024

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Mass. high court allows ballot questions for Uber, app-based drivers

Speaking from Springfield, advocates tout benefits of psychedelic therapy

Tool for equity or perpetrator of inequity? 6 viewpoints on MCAS grad requirement



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Massachusetts community plants flags to honor fallen soldiers for Memorial Day weekend

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Massachusetts community plants flags to honor fallen soldiers for Memorial Day weekend



Massachusetts community plants flags to honor fallen soldiers for Memorial Day weekend – CBS Boston

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ICE arrests alleged gun-running, fentanyl trafficking, indecent assault suspects across Massachusetts

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ICE arrests alleged gun-running, fentanyl trafficking, indecent assault suspects across Massachusetts


An illegal immigrant arrested in Boston for allegedly peddling “poison” fentanyl while armed is also wanted in his home country for gun running, and appears to be part of the “second surge” of ICE arrests the agency vowed to roll out in the city.

Julio Soto-Heredia, 44, of the Dominican Republic, was arrested Sunday by ICE agents, the agency announced Tuesday. He’s also wanted in his home country for alleged firearms trafficking.

“After Dominican authorities charged Julio Soto-Heredia with firearms trafficking, he later illegally entered the United States and attempted to hide out in Boston,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde.

“If that weren’t bad enough, Soto-Heredia apparently illegally armed himself and attempted to peddle poison in our Massachusetts neighborhoods,” Hyde added. “ICE Boston will not stand idly by while illegal alien offenders victimize the residents of our New England communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders.”

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Soto-Heredia remains in ICE custody.

The bust hits as Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership has committed to a second “surge” of arrests in Greater Boston.

The agency also announced the arrest of Kleber Lasso, an “illegal alien from Ecuador convicted for soliciting to commit murder and sentenced to only 1 year in jail. Brockton District Court failed to honor ICE’s detainer and released this criminal back onto Massachusetts’ streets.” He was arrested May 5.

On May 7, Senat Dufren, here illegally from Haiti, was arrested in Waltham and was charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of property in Roxbury.

“Local authorities did not honor the detainer and released Dufren. He then went on to victimize more innocent Americans — including a pregnant woman. He was then arrested again on February 19, 2025, for assault and battery on a pregnant victim, assault and battery family/household, and assault and battery,” ICE added.

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On May 12, Elismar Alves Ferreira, here illegally from Brazil, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, operating negligently, and disorderly conduct. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.

Also on May 12, ICE arrested Carlos Araujo, an illegal alien from Uruguay. He was convicted of indecent assault and battery of a 7-year-old female.

On May 11, 2025, ICE arrested Fernando Pereira De Oliveria, here illegally from Brazil. He is charged with indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.

On May 7, ICE Boston arrested Irwin Alexander Martinez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, “near Chelsea.” He is an MS-13 gang member, ICE added. On the same day, ICE stated the agency caught up to Noe Pena Garcia, a 24-year-old illegal from El Salvador and suspected MS-13 gang member.

Also on May 7, ICE Boston grabbed Sergey Ivashkevich, who had an active Interpol Red Notice out of Kazakhstan for extortion with threat of violence.

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Other arrests included suspected 18th Street gang members and cocaine dealers. The 18th Street clique, also known as Barrio 18, is a multi-ethnic street gang that started in Los Angeles and has become one of the nation’s largest gangs.

ICE and other federal agencies also arrested 11 roofers in Lowell on May 16. They were all Ecuadorian citizens. The feds targeted “a business with alleged unauthorized hiring practices” at a worksite in Lowell.

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) coalition could not be immediately reached for comment.

ICE officers arrest 11 roofers in Lowell suspected of being in the country illegally. (ICE.gov photo)

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Massachusetts CEO pleads guilty to making false statements to feds

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Massachusetts CEO pleads guilty to making false statements to feds


The CEO of a Massachusetts-based company has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the federal government, the U.S. Attorney said Monday.

Dr. Kingsley R. Chin, founder, president and CEO of SpineFrontier Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Malden, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of false statements to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Open Payments Program, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6.

The Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires device manufacturers like SpineFrontier to report any payments or transfers of value to physicians, including spine surgeons, Foley said.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services maintains a database, via the Open Payments website, which makes all such payments or transfers of value publicly accessible.

According to the charging documents, SpineFrontier offered surgeons the opportunity to engage in purported consulting on product development.

Specifically, Chin directed his employees to report the payment of fees paid to a surgeon as consulting fees that were not compensation for actual consulting work.

Chin caused his employees to report a payment of $4,750 on Jan. 19, 2016, to the surgeon as a “consulting” payment, even though Chin knew that the surgeon had not performed actual consulting work for the payment, prosecutors said.

Chin “also knew that he and SpineFrontier were required to accurately report any payments or transfers of value to the surgeon,” prosecutors said.

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Chin faces a sentence of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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