August 24, 2021: This fall, millions of Massachusetts residents will have the opportunity to elect the very officials that have the greatest impact on their day-to-day lives. These include mayors, city councilors, school committee members, and more. Officials like these have immense authority over policy areas including police budgets, education, and construction. By voting, citizens will utilize the civic power granted to them to ultimately express their values and beliefs.
But will anyone actually vote?
This fall, dozens of cities across the Commonwealth will hold their biennial municipal elections. Yet voter turnout in local elections is known for being abysmally low, and for good reason. According to the New York Times, only 15-27 percent of eligible voters turn out for local elections.
Those statistics, for the most part, hold true in Massachusetts. In 2017, for instance, when Boston last elected a mayor, only 28% of voters turned out. In 2019, when the mayor’s office was not up for election, voter turnout fell even lower: 17%. Additionally, only 17% of voters cast ballots in Worcester’s 2019 municipal election. In Lowell, that rate rose to 19%. But in Springfield, only 16% of those eligible voted.
To help raise awareness around the fall 2021 municipal elections, we've created a collection of key materials. These include an elections guide that lists when each preliminary and municipal election takes place, as well as a fact sheet that notes what the voter registration deadline is, how you may vote by mail, and more. These also include a wide variety of candidate guides that explain who's running for office, and what their stance is on key issues, in cities like Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and more. You can review these materials, and more, by visiting our webpage.
If your community is holding an election (or elections) this fall, it is essential that you turn out and have your voice heard. If not, you risk letting others dictate where you stand on issues like criminal justice reform, education, and more. Check out our resources to make sure you know everything you need to know to vote. Then, share these resources with other members of your community so that they may turn out too. Their interests, like yours, must not go ignored.
- All of us at MassVOTE
PS: The voter registration deadline for Boston's Sept. 14 Preliminary Election is Wednesday, Aug. 25. Click here to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date (or register for the first time!)
Comments