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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
Here are some of the key dates to remember if you want to vote in the general election:
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.
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
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
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
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:
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
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
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
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
BOSTON, MA — An international restaurant group with locations across the globe is preparing to open its first Massachusetts restaurant this year.
LPM Restaurant & Bar, a French Riviera-inspired restaurant founded in London, is set to open on the second floor of the Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street in Back Bay, according to Four Seasons. The hotel lists the restaurant as “Opening Summer 2026,” while the Boston Business Journal reported the restaurant plans to open in September.
The Boston restaurant will mark LPM’s debut in the Northeast and its third U.S. outpost, following locations in Miami and Las Vegas, according to a Four Seasons announcement.
LPM, also known as La Petite Maison, was founded in London in 2007 and is known for French-Mediterranean food, Mediterranean ingredients and dining rooms influenced by Belle Époque design.
The business operates locations in London, Dubai, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Riyadh, Limassol, Doha, Mykonos, Kuwait, Boston, Maldives and Bangkok.
Four Seasons said LPM will take over the space that formerly housed One Dalton’s breakfast concept, One + One. The restaurant will join other dining options at the hotel, including Zuma and Trifecta.
See Also:
A Massachusetts high school is under investigation after “several” teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions.
The state Department of Public Health is set to visit Uxbridge High School on Thursday to “conduct a series of air quality tests,” to determine whether the multiple cases are potentially connected.
Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Michael Rubin alerted families and district staff on Monday of the “sombering news,” after Uxbridge High School’s graduation over the weekend.
“We are writing to inform you about a concern we are investigating at Uxbridge High School,” Ljungberg and Rubin stated in the letter. “Several female teachers have been diagnosed with breast cancer or precancerous conditions over the past few years.”
“It is, of course, possible that these multiple cases are not connected to one another,” the leaders added, “but out of abundance of caution, we are looking into any environmental factors at the school that may be a factor in their diagnoses.”
The 123,000-square-foot school, with an enrollment of roughly 600, was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $45 million, including a $22-million state reimbursement.
Uxbridge school leaders say they notified the state Department of Health and local health board as soon as they became aware of the cases, seeking “counsel about how best to proceed.”
“Massachusetts DPH officials have indicated that there is no evidence of immediate danger in the building and no reason to limit access to or use of the facility at this time,” they wrote in their letter. “In fact, the public health officials have commended our decision to approach them with these concerns, our readiness to partner with them in support of the evaluation process.”
Health officials are assessing the school’s interior and exterior to “ensure there are no issues with the infrastructure that would present risks (including electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, and other systems)” and the indoor and outdoor air quality on campus.
The superintendent and principal said that state officials have ruled out water supply as a “risk factor” after “thorough testing.”
“The team has reached out to the women who have been diagnosed, requesting data to evaluate whether there may be a connection among their cases,” Ljungberg and Rubin wrote. “We are grateful for their cooperation.”
They added that the state has said discovering an environmental “smoking gun” is “rare” in workplace investigations.
“However, even if a direct causal link is not established,” the leaders wrote, “the administration is utilizing this process to rigorously test the building and guarantee that it meets all safety standards moving forward.”
Local News
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
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