WESTFORD CENTER — Westford voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, to decide a series of statewide races and nine ballot questions covering government transparency, collective bargaining, election rules, state revenue, housing, marijuana sales and firearm regulations.
The election will feature races for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate, the state’s constitutional offices and seats in Congress. Westford voters will also decide who represents them in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
According to the Town Clerk’s Office, ballots will have three pages, including a front and a back page plus an additional page containing candidate races and ballot questions. Voters should review all three pages before submitting their ballots.
Who is running for office?
Westford voters will join the rest of Massachusetts in choosing a governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer and state auditor.
The following candidates are listed for the statewide contests:
Governor
- Maura Healey, Democrat (incumbent)
- Mike Minogue, Republican
- Andrea “AJ” James, Independent
Lieutenant governor
- Kim Driscoll, Democrat (incumbent)
- Shawn Oliver, Republican
- Kayla Kittredge, Independent
U.S. Senate
- Edward J. Markey, Democrat (incumbent)
- John Deaton, Republican
- Joseph Tache, Party for Socialism and Liberation
- Shiva Ayyadurai, Independent
U.S. House, 3rd District
- Lori Trahan, Democrat (incumbent)
- Gary Grossi, Republican
- Dennis Conlon, Independent
Secretary of the commonwealth
- William Galvin, Democrat (incumbent)
- Anne Brensley, Republican
Attorney general
- Andrea Campbell, Democrat (incumbent)
- Michael Walsh, Republican
State auditor
- Diana DiZoglio, Democrat (incumbent)
- Al Ozonoff, Libertarian
State treasurer
- Deb Goldberg, Democrat (incumbent)
- Elizabeth Dionne, Republican
Governor’s Council, District 7
- Paul DePalo, Democrat (incumbent)
- Margaret Abboud, Republican
State Senate, Worcester & Middlesex District
- John Cronin, Democrat (incumbent)
- Ming Zhang, Independent
State Representative, Second Middlesex District
- Jim Arciero, Democrat (incumbent, unopposed)
District Attorney, Northern District
- Marian Ryan, Democrat (incumbent, unopposed)
Register of Probate, Middlesex County
- Tara DeCristofaro, Democrat
- Tara Martorella, Justice for All
What are the nine ballot questions?
Massachusetts voters will decide nine binding statewide ballot questions. Questions 1 through 8 propose new laws, while Question 9 asks voters whether to uphold an existing law.
Given that this will be the most questions on a state election ballot in Massachusetts in over three decades, Galvin’s office said ballots in most communities across the state are expected to be two to three pages long. The length of each community’s ballot will depend on the number of offices and candidates competing. If the ballot needs to be printed in more than one language and any local questions that may be added by the city or town, will affect the number of pages.
The following are the nine questions that will appear on the ballot this November:
Question 1: Expanding the Public Records Law
Voters will decide whether to make the Governor, Legislature and other elected officials subject to the state’s public records law, increasing public access to government records.
Question 2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees
Voters will decide whether employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (the state’s public defender agency) should be allowed to unionize and collectively bargain.
Question 3: State Primary Elections
Voters will decide whether to replace party primaries with a nonpartisan primary in which all candidates appear on one ballot and the top finishers advance to the general election, regardless of party.
Question 4: Election Day Registration
If passed, eligible residents can register to vote or update their voter registration on Election Day and cast a ballot immediately.
Question 5: State Revenue Limit & Rebate
Voters will decide whether to limit the amount of tax revenue the state can keep and require additional revenue above that limit to be returned to taxpayers through rebates.
Question 6: Natural Resource Conservation Fund
If approved, this will create a dedicated fund for protecting water, forests, parks, farmland and other natural resources in Massachusetts, financed through a portion of existing state sales tax revenue.
Question 7: Single Family Homes
Voters will decide whether to limit local minimum lot-size requirements, which would ease the restrictions on the construction of single-family homes on smaller lots in many communities.
Question 8: Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana
If passed, the legalization of recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts would be repealed, while keeping medical marijuana legal.
Question 9: Firearms Regulation
If approved, Massachusetts’ 2024 firearms law expanding gun safety regulations — including restrictions on certain firearms, licensing requirements and other public safety measures — would be upheld.
The Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth has published detailed explanations of each question, including the proposed laws, fiscal consequences and arguments from supporters and opponents. Voters can review the official information on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
Where can Westford residents vote?
Westford’s polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. Voters who are in line by 8 p.m. will be permitted to cast their ballots.
The Town Clerk’s Office lists two Election Day polling locations:
- Westford Academy, 30 Patten Road: Precincts 1, 3, 4 and 7.
- Stony Brook School, 3 Farmer Way: Precincts 2, 5 and 6.
Voters should confirm their precinct and polling location before Election Day, particularly if they have moved since the last election. The Massachusetts voter lookup tool is available on the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s website.
Early voting and registration deadlines
Residents who prefer not to vote on Election Day can vote early in person at the Westford Town Hall Clerk’s Office until Oct. 30. The Town Clerk’s published schedule includes weekday and weekend hours, with some hours varying by date. Residents should check the town’s official election information before voting
The deadline to register to vote in person for the Nov. 3 election has passed. Online registration is available through the state’s voter registration system.
Registered voters can also request a mail-in ballot through the state’s voting system. Voters who have already received a mail-in ballot should follow the instructions provided with it and return it in time to meet the applicable deadline.
With nine statewide ballot questions and multiple candidate races, Westford officials encourage voters to review their ballots ahead of time and make sure every page is completed before submitting it.
