Massachusetts
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.
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:
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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 (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
MassLive’s updated list of state lawmakers who aren’t running for reelection in 2024
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.
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)
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
Mass. Primary 2024: Mara Dolan wins Governor’s Council 3rd District race
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.
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
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
Massachusetts
Governor files bill to cover pay, benefits for Chelmsford firefighter hurt in fall at Massachusetts Fire Academy
Governor Maura Healey said Wednesday that she has filed legislation to ensure that Chelmsford firefighter Nick Spinale will receive full pay and benefits while recovering from injuries he suffered during a 40-foot fall at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
Spinale was nearly killed during the fall on April 7 at the academy in Stow. He suffered significant internal and external injuries, and had to learn to walk again at Spaulding Rehabilitation in Charlestown before being released.
Because Spinale was working as a part-time instructor for the state, and not on duty for Chelmsford Fire Department at the time of the fall, the town did not place him on injury leave. He had to use accrued paid sick time, while Chelmsford firefighters swapped shifts to make sure his job would be there when he is ready to return.
But on Wednesday, Healey announced that her legislation would ensure that he receives full pay and benefits, and also maintains his full-time position in Chelmsford while he recovers.
“Nicholas Spinale is a hero. Firefighters run into danger every day to keep people safe, and Nick went even further to lend his expertise to train the next generation of firefighters,” Healey said in a statement. “He suffered from a tragic, life-altering accident while doing this important work, and the last thing he needs is to worry about whether he will continue to be able to support himself and his family. This legislation will ensure that he receives the full pay and benefits that he deserves so that he can rightfully focus on his recovery.”
In a statement, the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts urged the House and Senate to fast-track the legislation and get it to Healey’s desk so she can sign it.
Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839 thanked the governor for drafting the legislation.
“This bill demonstrates that through collaborative efforts and challenging discussions, significant and equitable decisions can produce positive impacts for first responders throughout Massachusetts,” the union said.
Massachusetts
‘It’s maddening’: FIFA licensing delays threaten Massachusetts’ World Cup party plans – The Boston Globe
Without those approvals, municipalities cannot legally show the matches in public, leaving many local organizers frozen in place — unable to lock in vendors, rent giant screens, hire security, or recruit volunteers.
If the licenses do not come through soon, the vision of fans of diverse ethnicities and generations gathering in a rolling soccer party from one end of Massachusetts to another could fade before the first whistle at Gillette Stadium, on June 13.
“It’s maddening,” said Sandhya Iyer, economic development and tourism director for Lexington, which is planning a watch party at the lawn of the town’s visitors center. “The World Cup is right around the corner, but we can’t invite people to a celebration that might not happen.”
FIFA did not respond to multiple requests from The Boston Globe for comment on its licensing process.
The only two entities to receive FIFA licenses so far are the City of Cambridge and the MetroWest Tourism and Visitors Bureau, which is organizing events in Franklin and Marlborough, according to the state Executive Office of Economic Development, which has been helping local communities alongside Boston’s World Cup host committee. Officials in at least two municipalities, Framingham and Weymouth, have decided against holding World Cup watch parties due to concerns over security and costs.
Compounding the frustration, local planners say they have been unable to get clear answers — or even reach a real person — at FIFA. Instead, they are routed back to the organization’s online licensing portal, where they repeatedly encounter the same three words: “Application in Review.”
The licensing delays are just the latest manifestation of mounting frustration with FIFA, the Zurich-based organization that owns and runs the World Cup.
Chief among the concerns is ticket pricing, which for many fans has become prohibitively expensive. For the highly anticipated France-Norway match on June 26 at Gillette, remaining tickets range from $750 to $5,680 each.
Speaking at an event last week in Beverly Hills, Calif., FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended the ticket prices, saying they reflect demand to watch the World Cup as well as laws in the United States that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value. Tickets are available via resale platforms including FIFA’s own marketplace; last month four seats for the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey were listed at just under $2.3 million each.
Now FIFA — already accused of squeezing millions from soccer fans — is facing a new charge: acting like a party crasher, spoiling the festivities the World Cup is supposed to inspire.
“This is all wildly unconventional. It’s like being a month out from a big event and not having a venue,” said Greta Teller, a soccer marketing consultant from Roslindale who is assisting more than two dozen organizations statewide on World Cup festivities. “The frustration is that nobody can get a straight answer [from FIFA], and that makes planning really difficult.”
The community watch parties are anything but small undertakings.
While the events vary in size, they’re costly and labor-intensive to stage — one reason the Commonwealth is helping foot the bill. A single giant screen to broadcast the games during the tournament can run up to $100,000. Security, portable toilets, food vendors, signage, and trash removal can add tens of thousands more. And then there’s the FIFA public-viewing license itself, which can range from about $1,000 to $20,000 depending on expected crowd size.
In Easthampton, preparations for a five-day World Cup watch party that would coincide with a festival to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday have been months in the making. The city has lined up a half-dozen food trucks, musical bands, two breweries and a local production company to operate the big screens and lighting at Millside Park. The event is expected to cost about $250,000; a $100,000 state grant will cover part of the expense, while the remaining $150,000 will come from private and in-kind donations, city officials said.
Mayor Salem Derby of Easthampton said many of those plans hinge on the yet-issued FIFA license. Until the license comes through, the city cannot finalize contracts with key vendors. And with Easthampton facing a projected $6.5 million budget deficit next fiscal year, Derby said officials are reluctant to spend money upfront without clear authorization to broadcast the games.
Derby called the FIFA licensing process “nerve-wracking,” adding, “You would think [the license] would be the easy part — that FIFA would want us to broadcast these games.”
That uncertainty is being felt elsewhere, including about 100 miles east in Lexington, where local planners envisioned a 10-day celebration on the spacious lawn at the town’s visitor center, with a beer garden, food trucks, two large screens, and soccer games for kids.
But two months after it submitted its application for a FIFA viewing license, Lexington’s plans are in limbo.
Iyer, the town’s economic development and tourism director, said she checks the FIFA website multiple times each day, hoping for any new information. Each time, the status is unchanged: “Application in Review.”
Now, town planners are exploring whether to scale back the festivities and have smaller watch parties at a movie theater or restaurants that already broadcast games and do not need a special FIFA license, Iyer said. “It’s hard to nail down specifics if we’re not even sure we can show the games,” she said.
In Lowell, the Revolutionary Valley Regional Tourism Council is finalizing plans for 14 watch parties around the city, with an expected $10 admission fee and capacity for tens of thousands of attendees. The group has already matched its $75,000 state grant and raised more than $200,000, but still needs about $400,000 more to meet its target.
Its initial FIFA license application, submitted in February, was rejected on March 10 because a full list of sponsors wasn’t yet in place, said council executive director Brian Bradbury. A second application was resubmitted in early May after most logistical details were finalized.
“We anticipated that it was going to be a quicker, smoother process, that it’s something that’s been done a million times and that they’d be able to give the license to us in a turnkey way,” said Bradbury. He said the initial license refusal was for “unnecessary” reasons.
“It is frustrating, and if we don’t have our license by next week, it’s going to be much more frustrating. We expected a quicker process.”
Even organizations that received FIFA licenses say the labyrinthine process and delays left them scrambling to finalize plans at the last minute.
MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau is organizing a total of five free MetroWest Regional Fan Zones: three outdoor watch-party festivals in Marlborough June 11-13, and two in Franklin, June 24 and 25.
After filling out a relatively simple FIFA application form in mid-December, MetroWest did not receive its license until mid-April.
“The timeline was certainly more extended than we had hoped,” said Stacey David, MetroWest executive director, whose group received $120,000 from the state and is still trying to raise funds from the private sector to cover costs. “So now we’re crunched.”
Other grant awardees simply have their fingers crossed their licenses will come through.
Chelsea is planning one of the biggest watch parties in the state: 38 continuous days, 60-plus matches in Chelsea Square.
“That’s going to take us a lot of marketing, and the more time we have, the better it is,” said City Manager Fidel Maltez. “I think our team is trying to be respectful and appreciative but . . . we need this approval as soon as possible.”
Chris Serres can be reached at chris.serres@globe.com. Follow him @ChrisSerres. Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her @lauracrimaldi.
Massachusetts
Dover Saddlery, Massachusetts-based equestrian retailer, announces store closures and potential layoffs
Dover Saddlery, an equestrian retailer based in Massachusetts, has announced multiple store closures and will potentially lay off more than 100 workers as it explores a sale.
The Littleton-based company said in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing that it’s preparing to let 112 workers go this July.
“Whether the layoffs or closures occur will depend in part on our success in obtaining funding or selling our business,” Dover Saddlery wrote in the notice.
Dover Saddlery sells saddles, blankets and other gear for horses, as well as boots and apparel for riders. WBZ-TV reached out to the company for comment but has not heard back.
Brothers Jim and David Powers opened the first Dover Saddlery store in Wellesley in 1975. A Facebook page for the store said it is closing soon, with sales of up to 20% off.
“Thank you for your support and loyalty over the years,” a message from the company said. “Serving you and your horse has truly been our privilege, and we’re grateful for the trust you’ve placed in us.”
Dover Saddlery has about three dozen stores nationwide. Stores in Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan and California are also set to close, according to social media posts.
In 2022, Dover Saddlery was acquired by Promus Equity Partners, a private equity firm, and said it was “positioned for growth according to a robust, strategic plan.” The company said last year it would be opening a new flagship store in Ocala, Florida at the World Equestrian Center in 2026.
-
Nevada5 minutes agoArbor View beats rival Centennial for 5A boys volleyball state title
-
New Hampshire11 minutes agoEmily (Em) Madeline Peters
-
New Jersey17 minutes agoOlder NJ residents consider leaving as costs rise, survey shows
-
New Mexico23 minutes agoNew Mexico elementary school partners with NASA and earns elite STEM certification
-
North Carolina29 minutes agoPolice: North Carolina man charged after high-speed chase in Erie County, arrested in the Town of Perry
-
North Dakota35 minutes agoND Emergency Services receives wildfire prevention award
-
Ohio41 minutes agoA unique project asks Ohioans to map Revolutionary War graves
-
Oklahoma47 minutes agoOklahoma teacher turns PB&J’s into a lifeline for students