BOSTON — The state’s top election official is predicting a “record” turnout Tuesday, when Massachusetts voters will go to the polls to pick a new president and decide a U.S. Senate race, several ballot questions, legislative and local contests.
Secretary of State Bill Galvin said based on mail and early ballot returns, and other metrics, turnout by the state’s voters will top the record-breaking 2020 presidential election, when nearly 3.7 million people in the state voted.
“We’ve seen a remarkable response to early voting,” Galvin told reporters at a pre-election briefing Monday. “We’re going to have, what I believe will be, a record turnout. Not a record by a great amount, but a record.”
More than 1.7 million of the state’s nearly 4.9 million voters have already cast ballots, either through the mail or during an early voting that wrapped up on Friday. Nationally, more than 80 million people have already voted.
Galvin said voter enthusiasm is being driven largely by the marquee race to replace outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden, which remains a tight contest nationally between Republican and former President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, according to opinion polls.
Locally, polls show Harris with a substantial lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts voters.
The race is much tighter in neighboring New Hampshire, where Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and other Democrats have been campaigning for weeks on behalf of Harris and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, who polls have shown is trailing behind Republican Kelly Ayotte, a former state senator, in the governor’s race.
Trump and Harris will share the Massachusetts ballot with several third-party and fringe candidates, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s candidates, Claudia De La Cruz and her vice presidential running mate, Karina Garcia.
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Green Party vice presidential candidate Gloria Caballero Roca, Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver and his running mate Mike ter Maat, and independent presidential candidate Shiva Ayyadurai and his running mate, Crystal Ellis, will also be on the ballot.
Besides picking a new president, Massachusetts voters were also deciding a U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican challenger John Deaton, a cryptocurrency attorney making his first run for elected office.
While most state lawmakers face no opposition on Tuesday’s ballot, there are a handful of contested legislative races across the North of Boston region.
Massachusetts voters will also consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms, and boost the wages of tipped workers.
More than half of the state’s 4.9 million voters are registered as independent — not affiliated with a major party — with their ranks swelling in the months leading up to the election. Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 3-1 margin.
While mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted until Nov. 8, Galvin said postal office delays means they might not arrive on time to be counted.
He is urging voters who haven’t sent mail ballots to either put them in drop boxes or turn in their unused ballot and vote in person on election day.
Despite national concerns about election violence, Galvin said he isn’t aware of any incidents and points out that Massachusetts law requires a police officer to be assigned at every polling station, and requires a 150-foot barrier around polling stations that prohibits political activity, protests or other potential disruptions.
“The police officers should be a reassurance, not just voters, but election workers and others participating,” he said. “Because it means that there’s a network already in place, to make sure if any issue arises that it is dealt with.”
Polls in Massachusetts will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Voters who show up at polling stations by 8 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballots.
Voters can see a full list of candidates and look up polling locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.