LOWELL -- You can say one thing about Donald Trump: he’s great for the ballot business. Secretary of State William Galvin predicts an even higher turnout for the 2024 presidential election than the record-setting numbers from four years ago.
About 1.6 million Massachusetts voters cast ballots early -- either in-person or by mail. That’s a full 1/3 of registered voters. Yet polling spots such as the Morey School in Lowell saw a steady flow of voters most of the day.
[ When will we know who the winner of the 2024 presidential election is? ]
What the polling place might also have seen -- and not known it: Department of Justice observers sent to Lowell and seven other Massachusetts cities to enforce voting rights laws. Lowell Election officials, concerned about safety, also banned the media from photographing poll workers or the faces of voters.
Voters’ chief concerns in Lowell included immigration reform, the price of food and using American dollars to fix America’s problems.
[ Election Day 2024 (live updates): Mass. voters head to polls after Harris, Trump make final pitches ]
Massachusetts is not expected to be the place for electoral upsets. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is favored to win a third term against Republican John Deaton. Seven of the state’s nine-member U.S. House delegation are running unopposed.
[ Election 2024 in Mass.: What time do polls open & close? Where do I vote? What’s on the ballot? ]
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