Voting in the 2020 presidential election ceased in Harvard at 8 p.m. last Tuesday, Nov. 3, but the work of election officials is far from over. The counting of ballots and disposition of provisional ballots is still underway, and certain ballots from overseas voters still had, as of Thursday, another day to arrive.
While the presidential election was called for Joe Biden by major news sources such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, and TV networks just before midday Saturday, and all Massachusetts races and ballot initiatives were decided much earlier, ballot counting must continue until mid-November. Harvard Town Clerk Marlene Kenney explained that the deadline to receive overseas absentee ballots and federal write-in ballots—a backup option for active duty members of the military, their spouses and dependents, and citizens living overseas who do not receive their absentee ballot on time—is Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.
The same deadline applies for determining the disposition of provisional ballots. A provisional ballot is cast when the eligibility of a voter is uncertain—sometimes because the person went to the wrong polling location—or when a voter cannot provide the necessary voter ID. These ballots are accepted but are not counted until they have been investigated by election officials and either deemed legitimate and added to the count or illegitimate and disposed of.
Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day were accepted across the state until Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. Kenney said that her office received nine mail-in ballots and three absentees during this stretch, with none arriving Friday. As of 11:30 a.m. Nov. 9, no ballots had arrived in Harvard past the deadline.
Kenney and other election officials will begin counting provisional, absentee, and federal write-in absentee ballots from overseas after the Nov. 13 deadline. She will report the final count to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office on Nov. 18 and post the results online shortly thereafter.
Beating the averages
Preliminary election results including only the ballots received by Election Day show a voter turnout of 89.3%, a number that Kenney said is edging toward 91% with the arrival of additional ballots. This is much higher than the current statewide average, which rests at about 72% of registered voters, and the national average, which, after Election Day, rested just below 56% according to the Pew Research Center.
A study of the 2016 electorate, also by the Pew Research Center, may help explain this gap, as Harvard’s demographic aligns almost perfectly with trends in voter turnout. The study shows that older, highly educated, affluent, white people were the most likely groups to turn out to vote.
According to the U.S Census Bureau, 63% of Harvard’s population has at least a four-year degree, about 20 percentage points higher than is true for the whole of Massachusetts. The average median household income is $148,625, compared to the state average of $77,378, and according to towncharts.com, which gets its data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the average age of residents in Harvard, 45 years, is about six years older than the state average. The town is also about 85% white, compared to the state demographic, which is about 81% white.
The only area where voter turnout trends don’t quite align with Harvard’s electorate is party affiliation. The Pew report showed that in 2016, Republicans were much more likely to vote than Democrats. Just under 74% of ballots cast by the close of polls on Election Day in Harvard were in support of Biden. Only 65% of Massachusetts voters chose the Democratic candidate.
Harvard also diverged from state averages on the two ballot initiatives, showing greater support for both. As of Election Day, 78% of the town’s ballots had been cast in support of extending the current right-to-repair law, which passed in the state with a hefty 75% of votes. Harvard was less enthusiastic about ranked choice voting, with just under 56% voting in favor. The initiative did not pass, as it saw support from only 45% of the state electorate.
Milestones ahead
Even after local election officials breathe a sigh of relief and clock out for a well-deserved vacation—or perhaps a staycation this year—there are still a few notable milestones to be met on the national election timeline.
Dec. 8 is the safe harbor deadline, the date by which any disputes over election results must be resolved.
By Dec.14, state governors must complete their popular vote count and produce a certificate of ascertainment—a document listing the names of each of the state’s electors for both the winning and losing parties, along with the official vote count for each. On this day the Electoral College will meet, and electors will cast their votes for president and vice president.
Massachusetts has 11 electoral votes, which will be cast by this year’s Democratic slate of electors: Kate Donaghue, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, Tom Larkin, Robert Markel, Linda Monteiro, Lesley Phillips, Jay Rivera, Norma Shulman, Ron Valerio, Teresa Walsh, and Wayne Yeh.
On Jan. 6, a joint session of Congress will meet to count the electoral votes and declare the winners of the presidential and vice presidential races.
Finally, on Jan. 20 the 46th president and vice president of the United States will be inaugurated.
As for the more than 4,000 ballots cast within Harvard? Those will be sealed away in the town’s vault for 22 months. After that, they will be destroyed.
