How Harvard voted on the ballot questions

Friday, November 8, 2024

While Harvard voters largely agreed with those across Massachusetts in the presidential and senatorial races, the five ballot questions followed a slightly different pattern. Harvard voters agreed with the state on Questions 1, 4, and 5, but differed on Question 2. For each question, a number of Harvard voters left their ballots blank, taking no position.

Question 1: Specifies the State Auditor has the authority to audit the Legislature.

Question 1 passed by more than a 2:1 margin in Harvard and also passed decisively statewide. However, as one Harvard voter pointed out in speaking with the Press, the measure is likely to face a constitutional challenge about separation of powers that may prevent it from taking effect. Still, that voter said he supported the measure as “a shot across the bow for transparency” from the Legislature.

Yes – 2,674
No – 1,101
Blanks – 267

Question 2: Eliminates the requirement that a student pass the MCAS tests to receive a high school diploma.

Question 2 passed statewide 59% to 41%. But it failed narrowly in Harvard by just over 100 votes. One voter said she opposed dropping the requirement because “it’s important to keep our standards as high as they are.”

Yes – 1,909
No – 2,033
Blanks – 100

Question 3 Provides transportation network drivers with the right to form a union to bargain collectively.

Question 3 was still too close to call statewide as of Wednesday. The measure passed in Harvard 54% to 41%.

Yes – 2,179
No – 1,657
Blanks – 206

Question 4: Permits limited legalization of certain natural psychedelic substances.

Question 4 failed both locally and statewide, although several local voters had expressed the hope it would pass. One resident told the Press she personally knew a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder who had benefited greatly from treatment with one of the substances. The measure lost in Harvard 55% to 42%; the margin statewide was 57% to 43%.

Yes – 1,695
No – 2,222
Blanks – 125

Question 5: Increases the minimum hourly wage an employer must pay a tipped worker to the full state minimum wage implemented over five years.

Question 5 would gradually have raised the minimum wage for tipped workers to the same level as other workers. Harvard voters opposed the measure 53% to 43%, and it was defeated statewide by an even larger margin, 64% to 36%. This measure divided at least one family in Harvard, as a father told the Press he and his daughter (who works as a waitress) had canceled out each other’s votes.