Election 2024: What’s on the ballot?

Early, in-person voting on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 29, was a tranquil affair. In addition to a reporter, just two other voters were marking their ballots in the carrels on the second floor of Town Hall. The red, white, and blue ballot box into which those voters dropped their sealed and signed ballot envelopes would be kept locked, a poll worker explained, until counting began on Election Day.

If Tuesday’s early voting scene was less than hectic, the number of early, in-person voters counted over eight days (out of 10 early voting days) added up to 445. And as of Oct. 29, the number of people who had chosen to vote ahead of Nov. 5—by early voting, mail-in ballot, or absentee ballot—was 1,835. That’s roughly 40% of the Harvard electorate, according to the town clerk’s office. In 2020, a total of 1,747 early or mail-in ballots had been cast as of Election Day, so this year’s early turnout is on track to exceed 2020’s.

But for those who have yet to cast their ballots, the Press offers this guide to remind voters about the eight elective offices and five binding statewide ballot questions that they will need to consider on the day.

Deadlines for submitting a mail-in ballot

If returned by hand to Town Hall–in person during business hours or in the dropbox at the left of the main entrance–the ballot must be received at Town Hall by 8 p.m., Nov. 5. According to the town clerk’s office, voters who bring ballots to Town Hall after the 4:30 p.m. closing time on Election Day must leave their mail-in ballots in the dropbox. Town officials will return to Town Hall by 8 p.m. to collect any ballots deposited in the dropbox between 4:30 and 8 p.m.

Do not bring a mail-in ballot to the polling place at Hildreth Elementary School on Election Day; bring it to Town Hall as described above.

• If returned by domestic mail, the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and must arrive at Town Hall by 5 p.m. Nov. 8.

If returned by mail from outside the U.S., the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and must arrive at Town Hall by 5 p.m. Nov. 15.

Voting in person

Voting will take place at the Hildreth Elementary School, 27 Mass. Ave., from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Note the change from the previous polling place, the Bromfield School. According to the office of Secretary of State William Galvin, “You cannot vote in person if your ballot has reached your local election office and was accepted. Once your ballot is accepted, you have voted. You can’t take your ballot back or vote again.

However, registered voters can still cast their ballots in person under the following circumstances.

• The voter applied to vote by mail but never returned the ballot.
• The voter mailed the ballot back, but the local election office (the town clerk’s office at Town Hall) did not receive it. Mail-in ballots that reach the local election office after Election Day will be rejected.

The local election office received the ballot but rejected it.

Ballot questions

At the end of September, the Massachusetts secretary of state’s office mailed residents a red booklet that explained each of the five proposed laws. A PDF version of the booklet, in both standard and large print, is available online at sec.state.ma.us or at the town clerk’s webpage, https://www.harvard-ma.gov/town-clerk.

• Question 1, State auditor’s authority to audit the Legislature, asks whether the state auditor, an elected official from the executive branch of the state government, should be allowed to examine the Legislature’s finances. A “yes” vote would expand the state auditor’s authority to conduct an audit; a “no” vote would retain the existing law.
• Question 2, Elimination of MCAS as high school graduation requirement, asks whether students in public schools must pass the 10th-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System to graduate from high school. A “yes” vote would drop the requirement; a “no” would retain it. (The Press reported on Question 2 in its Oct. 25 edition.)
• Question 3, Unionization for transportation network drivers, asks voters to decide whether rideshare drivers should gain a legal avenue to unionize, a right that, as independent contractors, they do not currently have. A “yes” vote would allow, but would not require, drivers to form unions. The unions could collectively bargain with transportation network companies–such as Lyft, Uber, and others–on benefits, labor conditions, and wages. A “no” vote would maintain the status quo.
• Question 4, Limited legalization and regulation of certain natural psychedelic substances, asks voters to decide whether people 21 and older should be allowed to “grow, possess, and use certain natural psychedelic substances in certain circumstances.” A “yes” vote would allow people to buy the two substances found in mushrooms (psilocybin and psilocyn) and three substances found in plants (dimethyltryptamine, mescaline, and ibogaine) at approved locations and for use under the supervision of a licensed facilitator. Retail sales under any other circumstances would be prohibited. A state commission would regulate the substances. A “no” vote would mean psychedelic substances would remain illegal.
• Question 5, Minimum wage for tipped workers, asks voters to decide if the minimum wage for tipped employees should be raised from $6.75 per hour to $15 (the state’s minimum hourly wage for nontipped workers) over five years. Voting “yes” would gradually raise wages for tipped workers such as servers, bartenders, and other waitstaff, until it reaches $15 an hour. A “no” vote would keep the current system in which tipped workers who now make $6.75 would continue to be paid that amount as long as their total earnings with tips reach $15 an hour. (The Press reported on Question 5 in its Oct. 25 edition.)