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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

A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store

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A magical holiday village is tucked inside Massachusetts’ most famous candle store


Yankee Candle is a staple in the Bay State, famous for its colorful jars full of fragrance and warm light.

And while its candles can essentially be bought from anywhere, the mothership of the iconic candles lies in South Deerfield at Yankee Candle Village.

The flagship store, known for its ginormous collection of Yankee Candle scents and retail goods, is a winter holiday destination for those in New England.

  • This is the most popular candle scent in Massachusetts, according to The Loupe

Leading up to Christmas, the store turns into a complete holiday stop.

Now on prominent display are the brand’s many different winter scents, including such classics as Red Apple Wreath and Balsam & Cedar, and such holiday scents as Christmas Cookie and North Pole Greetings.

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Bavarian Christmas Village, arguably the most festive room in Yankee Candle Village, is Christmas all year. Guests will stroll through an enchanted forest featuring a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree, nutcrackers, winter village displays and even indoor snow that falls every 4 minutes.

  • ‘Disneyland’ Leverett estate of Yankee Candle founder Michael J. Kittredge II for sale at $23 million

But scattered throughout the flagship store are hints of Christmas and a winter wonderland — from the home section filled with holiday kitchen decor to the Toy Shop filled with jolly trinkets.

Santa even pays a visit to the Yankee Candle Village, hosting a storytime with kids every Monday through Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

And if the shopping and holiday joy become overwhelming, the store even has cafes that offer a bite to eat. Guests can also indulge in sweet treats in its candy store or try freshly made fudge.

Yankee Candle Village is located at 25 Greenfield Road in South Deerfield. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

  • Yankee Candle will close 20 stores; parent to lay off 900 employees



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Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh

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Two stranded dolphins rescued from Massachusetts marsh


It swims in the family.

A mother and calf wandered off the beaten path and got stranded in a Massachusetts marsh, forcing an emergency mammal rescue crew to save the wayward dolphin pair.

On Dec. 8, the Wareham Department of Natural Resources responded to a report of two stranded dolphins in the area of Beaverdam Creek off of the Weweantic River, a 17-mile tributary that drains into Buzzards Bay, which directly connects to the Atlantic Ocean.

When crews arrived, two common dolphins were located alive and active, but partially out of the water stranded in the marsh, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources.

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Responding authorities alerted the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, based in Cape Cod.

IFAW team members put the dolphins on stretchers and brought them to safety, where they conducted preliminary tests on the wayward dolphins.

The IFAW team placed the dolphins onto stretchers to bring them to safety. Wareham Department of Natural Resources

“Our teams were easily able to extract the animals and transport them via our custom-built rescue vehicle,” Stacey Hedman, senior director of communications for IFAW, said.

The dolphins were weighed; the smaller of the two weighed approximately 90 lbs, and the larger mammal around 150 lbs.

Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair.

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The small dolphin weighed 90 lbs, with the larger one coming in at roughly 150 lbs. Wareham Department of Natural Resources
Upon further analysis, it was revealed that the dolphins were an adult female and a socially-dependent juvenile female, a mother and calf pair. IFAW

According to Hedman, IFAW had some concerns over the mother’s decreased responsiveness and abnormal blood work, though it was deemed the pair was healthy enough to release back into the ocean at West Dennis Beach in Dennis, Mass.

“By releasing them into an area with many other dolphins around, this would hopefully increase their chances of socialization and survival. Both animals have satellite tags that are still successfully tracking,” Hedman said.



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Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute

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Man seriously injured after being thrown from moving vehicle during domestic dispute


A 19-year-old Massachusetts man was seriously injured after he was thrown from a moving vehicle he had grabbed onto during a domestic dispute Thursday morning.

Duxbury police said they responded to a report of an injured male who might have been struck by a vehicle on Chandler Street around 5:22 a.m. and found a 19-year-old Pembroke man lying in the roadway with serious injuries.

Through interviews with witnesses, officers learned that the man had gone to his ex-girlfriend’s residence on Chandler Street to confront her current boyfriend. An altercation ensued, during which police said the 19-year-old appears to have jumped on the hood of a vehicle and was then thrown from the moving vehicle.

The incident remains under investigation, police said. At this time, they said no charges have been filed.

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