Election 2020: Waltham Voter Guide

WALTHAM, MA — Voters in Waltham will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, there are several key races at the state and local level, as well as two ballot questions. Voting will be different this year thanks to rules approved to expand early and mail-in voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 24. You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where you can also find your polling place.

There are several ways registered voters can cast a ballot:

Mail-In Voting
Vote-by-mail applications must be received by the city clerk by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. If you've applied and haven't gotten your ballot yet, check with the secretary of the commonwealth's ballot tracker.

Ballots can be returned by mail or returned by hand to the clerk’s office. They can also be returned at the drop boxes located at city hall.

Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 3 and returned to the local election office no later than Nov. 6.

Early Voting
Voters have the option of early, in-person voting at the Russ Malone Archives and Record Center on Grove Street beginning Saturday, Oct. 17 and lasting through Friday, Oct. 30.

• Weekdays polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• On the weekend of Oct. 17 and 18 —polls open at 11 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.
• On Oct. 24 — polls open at 2 p.m. and close at 8 p.m.
• Oct. 25 — polls open at 11 a.m. and close at 4 p.m.

Read more: Where To Vote Early In Waltham: Key Election Dates

Voting on Election Day
Polls in Massachusetts are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can also use the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place, and your ward and precinct.

Most polling locations in the city are the same as they were last go round, but here are a few changes this year:

The full list of polling places:

Ward 1:

• Precinct 1 - Plympton School, 20 Farnsworth St.
• Precinct 2 - Waltham High School, 617 Lexington St..

Ward 2:

• Precinct 1 - Kennedy Middle School, 655 Lexington St.
• Precinct 2 -Kennedy Middle School, 655 Lexington St.

Ward 3:

• Precinct 1 - MacArthur Elementary, 494 Lincoln and Lake Streets
• Precinct 2 - Northeast Elementary, 70 Putney Lane, off Warwick Ave.

Ward 4:

• Precinct 1 - Fitzgerald Elementary, 140 Beal Rd.
• Precinct 2 - Fitzgerald Elementary, 140 Beal Rd.

Ward 5:

• Precinct 1 - Rosario "Russ" Malone Archives and Record Center, 260 Grove St.
• Precinct 2 - Rosario "Russ" Malone Archives and Record Center, 260 Grove St.

Ward 6:

• Precinct 1 - Charles A Lawless Housing, 110 Pond St.
• Precinct 2 -Government Center, 119 School St.

Ward 7:

• Precinct 1 - Nathaniel At Banks Square Condominiums, 948 Main St.
• Precinct 2 - Nathaniel At Banks Square Condominiums, 948 Main St.

Ward 8:

• Precinct 1 -Whalen Housing, 84 Orange St.
• Precinct 2 - Waltham Community and Cultural Center, 510 Moody St.

Ward 9:

• Precinct 1 - Arthur J. Clark Housing, 48 Pine St.
• Precinct 2 - Cutter Street Polling Booth, 8 Cutter St.

For questions about voting in Waltham, contact: cityclerks@city.waltham.ma.us.

Key Races
The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Waltham voters:

President/Vice President
Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) - Incumbent

Congress:

U.S. Senate
Edward Markey (Democrat) - Incumbent
Kevin O'Connor (Republican)
Andre Gray (Green)
Frederick Mayock (independent)

Ballot Questions
Question 1: "Right To Repair" Vehicle Access Requirement Initiative
Yes: A yes vote would require carmakers to expand access to mechanical data for all cars sold in Massachusetts beginning with model year 2022.
No: A no vote leaves the 2013 right-to-repair law unchanged.
Question 2: Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative
Yes: A yes vote favors adopting a system gives voters the option of ranking candidates on their ballot in order of preference, as opposed to selecting just one. And if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the least first-choice votes is eliminated, and the voters who preferred that candidate have their votes reallocated based on their second choices. Then the ballots are recounted and the process is repeated until one candidate breaks the 50 percent threshold.
No: A no vote keeps the current system in place.

Representative MA 5th District

• Katherine Clark (Incumbent) (Democratic Party)
• Caroline Colarusso (Republican Party)

Representative in General Court 9th Middlesex District

Both are Waltham City Councilors)

• Thomas Stanley (Incumbent) (Democratic Party)
  
• George Darcy III (Unenrolled)
  

Running unopposed:

Senator in General Court, 3rd Middlesex: Lori Trahan (Incumbent) (Democratic Party)

Representative In General Court, 10th Middlesex, John Lawn

Register of Probate Middlesex County Tara DeChristofaro

Here are other key election dates to be aware of:

• Oct. 24 — Last day to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 3 election. You can register online, by mail or in-person at the clerk's office or you can register at the Rosario "Russ" Malone Archives and Record Center at 260 Grove St from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. during early voting.
• Oct. 28 — Last day to apply by mail for an absentee (mail-in) ballot.
• Nov. 2 — Last day to apply in person for an absentee (mail-in) ballot.