Why Massachusetts voters should expect to spend more time at the polls on Election Day
When Massachusetts voters head to the polls this November, they will have to weigh in on nine ballot questions. As a result, election officials are warning that Election Day may take a bit longer this year inside polling places.
That's causing some towns' ballots to extend to more than two or three pages. Some towns will have as many as four pages because of multi-language printing, summary of each question, and the size of the text.
Needham Town Clerk Louise Miller says voters should expect longer wait times at the polls.
"In all my time as a voter, I also do not recall this many ballot questions," Miller said.
Miller said it is going to take a longer time to process the ballot, a longer time for voters to fill out the ballot and a longer time to put the ballot through the tabulators on Election Day.
Nine questions actually tie the record for the greatest amount on one ballot, the fourth time in state history. It happened once in 1994 and twice in the 1970s.
"It's unusual it got to this number, and the reasoning is first of all the legislature has failed to act on these things. Remember, any ballot question that makes it to the ballot has been sent to the legislature first, and they have had the opportunity for the full period of time from January to May of an election year to vote on it or take some action on it. And they failed to do that," Secretary of State Bill Galvin said.
Galvin says what's striking this year is not just the number of ballot questions, but the diversity of issues, from spending to marijuana.
Each question requires a summary, so voters are clear on what they are voting on.
"Put it in the box themselves. The problem is the box can get very full very fast. We have to anticipate that," Galvin said.
To avoid some of the stress and delays, voting officials say folks should read and know each question in advance, vote by mail or vote early.
"People who need additional time will find early voting convenient because it is not as crowded, not as stressful," Miller said.
Polls on Nov. 3 will open at 7 a.m. Residents can still apply for a vote-by-mail ballot. There will be early in-person voting beginning Oct. 17.
