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Boston's Morning Newsletter
From voting to the results, here's what to watch for this Election Day in Mass.
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Today is the day! As much as mail-in and early voting has grown, the majority of Massachusetts voters are still expected to cast their ballots on good ol’ Election Day today. Polls are open until 8 p.m., and we could be in for a night of mixed results — with national Republicans favored to retake at least one chamber of Congress, while Democrats are poised to claim historic victories here in the Bay State.
But that all depends on who shows up today. Here’s what to expect:
Let’s start with a few PSAs: Precinct lines were redrawn last year, so make sure to double check your polling place. And if you already filled out a mail-in ballot but haven’t returned it yet, here are your options.
- Beware: You can still technically mail your ballot back today, but officials say you’re taking the risk it won’t arrive by the Saturday deadline if you do.
- Haven’t made up your mind? Catch up on all our 2022 election coverage here, including our Massachusetts ballot question explainers and the closing pitches from the state’s two major gubernatorial candidates, Maura Healey and Geoff Diehl.
- Tune in: We’ll be carrying NPR’s live special coverage beginning at 8 p.m. tonight, with updates on the local races and results every 30 minutes. You can listen on 90.9 or stream online here.
“Not an awful lot of enthusiasm”: Secretary of State Bill Galvin predicted Monday that a total of 2.2 million people in Massachusetts will have voted when it’s all said and done. (So far, over 1 million have voted early or by mail.) That would be the lowest-ever turnout rate in a general election since the state started recording it in 1948 — even with additional options like early and mail-in voting.
- Why aren’t people more amped up? Well, polls have shown the Democratic candidates for statewide office in Massachusetts with double-digit leads, resulting in the perception that those races are already over. Galvin said voters — overwhelmed by confusing ads — appear to be focused on the four ballot questions, making the election “more like a midterm exam than a midterm choice.”
- There are some local contests where party control is up in the air. WBUR’s Deborah Becker reports that Democrats are hoping to flip GOP-held district attorney offices on the South Shore and Cape and Islands. Those outcomes seem uncertain.
The national red wave — whether big or small — isn’t expected to breach Massachusetts’ blue walls; all nine of the state’s House members are considered safe, according to the Cook Political Report. But that doesn’t mean the all-Democrat delegation has nothing to lose.
- If the GOP wins control of the House, Reps. Richard Neal and Jim McGovern will lose their powerful committee chairmanships. And as The Boston Globe recently reported, others could see their influence diminish, too.
- For a sense of which way the tide is turning, follow these national bellwether districts. There’s also three close House races in New England and a competitive Senate race in New Hampshire (as the constant TV ads have probably made you well aware).
- Be patient: Barring any “major issues,” Galvin’s office expects local results to come in as quickly tonight as they did in 2020. But in other states, mail-in voting and ballot-counting rules could delay the final results “for days, if not weeks,” per NPR.
- Galvin says his office has also taken steps to ensure there’s no problems at the polls, including checking to “make sure everyone knows how to crack a safe.” (Looking at you, Barnstable.)
In non-election news: Cambridge is officially moving to ban right turns at red lights across the city, after the City Council voted last night to approve the measure. Supporters say the ban will make the city’s roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
- It also won’t be a super drastic shift. According to The Boston Globe, roughly 70% of Cambridge’s intersections already ban “right on red.” The Council also reportedly wants to give the traffic department flexibility to keep allowing the turns at select intersections where big backups could occur.
We’ll have to wait a little longer before any of us suddenly become billionaires. Last night’s record $1.9 billion Powerball drawing was delayed due to security procedures and officials say we likely won’t know the results until this morning. But as of 5:30 a.m., they had no estimate on when, exactly.
- Locally, we’ve already had a few big lower-tier winners within the past week, including a $1 million ticket sold in Boxborough and a $650,000 ticket sold in Boston.
P.S.— Did you miss this morning’s total lunar eclipse? Here are a few photos of what it looked like here in Boston.
