The Landscape
With 8 days until the election is over, many elected officials are focusing on get-out-the-vote efforts in state and federal elections rather than outstanding legislative work on Beacon Hill.
Across the country, early voting has been expanded because of COVID-19 and many are taking advantage of in-person early voting, with a record-breaking number showing up on the first day of in many states. At least 58.6 million Americans have voted early, far surpassing 2016’s early vote count and showing a skyrocketed level of civic participation. Here in Massachusetts, more than more than 2.2 million voters have voted early or have applied to vote by mail but not without objection; the FBI is investigating a fire set deliberately inside the ballot drop box in Copley Square early Sunday morning, ruining some 20 ballots.
With President Trump attempting to discredit the electoral process, many are bracing for Election Week, or Month ahead and many ordinary citizens are preparing to fight a coup in November.
Voters seem to have a defined taste for their elected officials, but what about the ballot questions? Massachusetts has two binding questions on the ballot this year. Question 1: “Right To Repair” is on the ballot again as supporters are looking to add wireless technology to their 2013 victory ensuring independent car shops have access to data while the “No on 1” campaign, funded by the car manufacturers, claim the information is already provided. Question 2 would bring “Ranked Choice Voting,” or an “instant runoff” voting process for state and congressional elections if successful – is it that cut and dry?
The News
- COVID cases top 1,000 in Massachusetts for second day in a row
- 13 Massachusetts communities are back to Phase 1
- Second stimulus check: Is an agreement to pay Americans near?
SILVER LINING:
GOTV GRANDMA: 102-year-old wears PPE to mail ballot: ‘Most Important election of my lifetime’