BOSTON, Mass. — Boston voters heading to the polls Tuesday will handle three double-sided ballot cards, a longer ballot driven by nine statewide questions, and city election officials are asking them to slow down at the machine.
Polls in all 275 Boston precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. More than 2,000 trained poll workers are staffing them, according to the Boston Election Department.
Voters should insert one card into the tabulator, then wait for the screen to read System Ready before feeding the next. Feeding cards too quickly can jam the machine. The city said support teams will be out across Boston to deal with equipment trouble. Every polling place is wheelchair accessible and has an AutoMark terminal so voters with disabilities can mark a ballot on their own, and translations of the ballot questions are posted online in 16 languages.
Turnout before Tuesday was already sizable. By Monday, the city counted 62,652 ballots already in hand: 15,343 cast at early in-person sites and 47,309 returned by mail or absentee. Across Massachusetts, early voters numbered 1.1 million, Secretary of State William Galvin said, adding that he hopes total turnout reaches 2.5 million, roughly the 2022 level.
Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at polling places. They can go in a city drop box or be brought to the Election Department in Room 241 at Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square, by 8 p.m. Mailed ballots need a Nov. 3 postmark and must arrive by 5 p.m. Friday.
Beyond the questions, Massachusetts voters are deciding races for U.S. senator, governor, U.S. House, secretary of state and the Legislature. The city plans to post early and mail ballot results between 8 and 9 p.m., with precinct results starting around 10 p.m. Residents with questions can call 311.
Section: More Boston MA politics news
Filed under: Boston MA Politics News
