Even as the Massachusetts secretary of state predicted low turnout of about 45% for Tuesday’s election, a steady stream of voters kept poll workers in Harvard busy all day. By the end of the day, just over 68% of Harvard’s registered voters had cast ballots, whether in the Bromfield School cafeteria, in early voting at Town Hall, or by mail.
At the top of the ticket, Democrat Maura Healey captured 71.8% of Harvard’s votes. Statewide, her lead was so commanding that the Associated Press called the race for her as soon as the polls closed at 8 p.m. (For full results, see table on page 7.)
Most of the races on Harvard’s ballot were equally lopsided in favor of the Democratic candidates. The two exceptions were those for state auditor and Worcester County sheriff, which were somewhat closer. The difference between the top Democratic vote-getters and the lower Democratic numbers in the auditor’s and sheriff’s races suggests that about 13% of Harvard voters were willing to split their tickets.
As in previous elections, it seemed to be a sense of civic duty and pride that drew Harvard voters to the polls. Asked what brought them out in Tuesday’s suddenly chilly weather, a common answer was, “I always vote.” Others said, “It’s the only way we’re going to have our voices heard” and “We all have to do our part.”
Some voters expressed more interest in the ballot measures than in any of the contested offices. “It’s the questions,” one woman said. “Three of the four are ones I really care about.”
Another woman said her main interest was Question 1, often described as the millionaires tax. “And I’m a ‘no’,” she added on her way in the door to vote.
Question 1 was also on the minds of several people who arrived together but seemed to have opposite positions on the issue. “It’s not about small farm owners—they have to make over a million dollars a year,” one person was overheard saying passionately to a companion, who shook her head in disagreement.
Question 4 was the main concern for a man who arrived at the polls as the sun was setting: “The ballot question about drivers’ licenses … we need to enable undocumented people to work,” he said.
Voters in Harvard approved Questions 1, 2, and 4, with the biggest margin going to the dental insurance regulation proposed in Question 2, which also won statewide. Harvard voters rejected the changes to alcohol retail licensing proposed by Question 3, again matching the state results. Questions 1 and 4 were the last to be settled; both passed statewide.
When the polls closed, Harvard’s election workers were still busy dealing with the ballots cast early at Town Hall or by mail. First, each sealed envelope—marked outside with the voter’s name and address—was checked off against the list of registered voters, just as if the voter were standing there in person. (The list is electronic now, not in large streetlist books.) Then the still-sealed envelope was passed on to the election workers at the optical scanner, who opened the envelope, took out the ballot, and put it through the scanner. Town Clerk Lynn Kelly posted the preliminary results around 10:30 p.m. Final results will be certified by the town within 15 days and then certified by the state.
