Election 2020: Westford Voter Guide

WESTFORD, MA — Voters in Westford 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 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
You can request a ballot to vote by mail at the Secretary of State's website, those can be faxed or emailed or submitted online. Vote-by-mail applications must be received by the town 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 behind town 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 former fire station at 51 Main St., Saturday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Oct. 30.

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 precinct.

Polling locations in Westford are the same as they were last go round, though watch the signs once you get there, in a couple instances the location within the building may have changed.

Polling locations are determined by Precinct:

• Precinct 1 — Abbot School, 25 Depot St
• Precinct 2 — Blanchard Middle School, 14 West St
• Precinct 3 — Abbot School, 25 Depot St
• Precinct 4 — Robinson School, 60 Concord Rd
• Precinct 5 — Stony Brook School, 9 Farmers Way (off Groton Rd)
• Precinct 6— Miller School, 1 Mitchell Way (off Russells Way)

If you have any questions about voting in Westford, you can email the office of town clerk at townclerk@westfordma.gov or call 978-692-5515.

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

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

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.

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.