The Red Sox have a chance to tie — and then break — the team's 80-year-old record for consecutive wins in a doubleheader today against the Baltimore Orioles, after last night's game was rained out. Speaking of records, let's look at our state's jam-packed midterm ballot: Full of questions: Massachusetts will officially tie a state record for the number of ballot questions this fall. After a last-ditch signature challenge was rejected yesterday, Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office finalized the number and order of the nine questions. Even with three questions blocked by the state's top court, that number matches a high mark reached only three times before. Now comes the tricky part: actually fitting them all on the ballot. According to Galvin, the sheer volume of questions creates some "very practical logistical problems." He spoke to WBUR's John Bender about what voters should expect: - On the ballot(s): Galvin said his office numbered this year's questions with an eye on the length of each summary, in order to use space on the printed ballot as efficiently as possible. Still, some cities and towns will likely have ballots that are two — or even three — separate pages, due to other races and federal rules that certain communities print ballots in multiple languages. (Unlike previous years, Galvin recused himself from personally deciding the order, since he's backing one of the questions. Instead, his top deputy, Michelle Tassinari, who oversees his office's election division, took on that job.)
- At the polls: Be prepared for a longer wait, especially if your voting location doesn't have many voting booths. Galvin noted that nine questions means it will likely take voters more time to check all the boxes. "We're going to have to ask voters to be patient with each other as they vote," he said. "It could be a slow process if it's a smaller space."
- On election night: Galvin also asked people to have patience with the ballot-counting process. He predicted "more issues" with voting machines reading multiple ballot pages and filling up in certain locations. He noted that Massachusetts uses paper ballots as a "failsafe." "In most instances, where there are recounts in close races, the request is for a hand count, which is slow, but obviously very reliable, and the tangible evidence of what voters have done," he said.
- What's next: In September, Galvin's office will mail red booklets to voters — with summaries and arguments for and against each question. The booklets also include a checklist people can bring into the voting booth to help them remember their choices and "speed up the process," Galvin said. "The big challenge is going to be time and space," he added. "But nevertheless, it's still a great process. It's still a reliable process, and it gives voters the opportunity to make decisions on issues, as opposed to simply electing people to do it for them."
Click here to read the full list and order of this year's ballot questions. Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: The House is expected to pass a new abortion bill today. As WBUR's Gin Dumcius reports, the legislation would eliminate the existing rules for abortions later than 24 weeks into a pregnancy and allow doctors to use their "professional judgement" on such decisions. (A similar bill is being considered in the state Senate, but is yet to get a vote.) - The details: Opponents argue the House bill would create an "undefined standard" for late-term abortions. But House leaders say the bill is the result of conversations with doctors whose patients have left the state for medical care due to current restrictions. They argue existing laws don't take into account the complexity of reproductive health decisions.
At City Hall: Boston City Councilor Henry Santana is set to miss today's weekly meeting due what he calls “persistent and unresolved health issues.” The 30-year-old at-large city councilor said yesterday that he’s undergoing testing at the Shapiro Cardiovascular Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where he's been hospitalized since last Thursday. - Santana, who did not specify the health issues, described it as a “difficult and unexpected moment,” but said he's focused on making a full recovery.
In the river: Cyanobacteria — aka blue-green algae — may be back in the Charles River, though more upriver than in recent years. Boston health officials are warning people about a potential algae bloom in the Charles between Kendrick Street in Needham and Spring Street in West Roxbury, near Millennium Park and Cutler State Park. (They're still waiting for official state test results.) P.S.— Shakespeare on the Common returns to the Parkman Bandstand tonight to kick off its 30th anniversary production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Get the details on the free outdoor show's multi-week run (and more) in our arts and culture team's weekly roundup of things to do around Boston. |
