Election Day Roundup: Meet the Candidates, Make a Plan to Vote
Tomorrow is Election Day in Massachusetts, and although there are no statewide races at stake, numerous cities and towns across the Commonwealth will choose new mayors and city councilors.
These are the elected officials who arguably have the most influence over the safety of the streets in your hometown, so be sure to cast your ballot before the polls close on Tuesday evening.
Look up your polling location on the Secretary of State’s website.
If you’ve already voted by mail, track your ballot here.
If you’re still deciding how to vote, here’s a roundup of previous StreetsblogMASS election coverage from the past few months:
Boston municipal election: Councilor Essaibi George vs. Councilor Michelle Wu for mayor
We profiled both candidates before September’s preliminary election. Since then, Councilor Wu’s advocacy for fare-free buses has been a prominent point of debate: Essaibi George has called it “an empty promise,” but Wu has responded by citing the T’s own analyses, which find that fare-free buses could reduce operational expenses by $29 million every year.
Boston voters will also choose new City Councilors for nine district and four at-large seats. The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition and the Great Neighborhoods Network jointly surveyed council candidates on street safety and housing issues: read their responses here.
Other municipal elections
Many other cities and towns across the Commonwealth are electing new City Councils this week. The Massachusetts Vision Zero Coalition also surveyed candidates for council seats in Cambridge and Somerville: read their responses here.
In Cambridge, which does not have an elected mayor, Cambridge Bike Safety asked candidates if they would sign a pledge to uphold and implement the city’s groundbreaking Cycling Safety Ordinance; see who signed that pledge here. A Better City, a housing advocacy organization, also endorsed nine candidates.
StreetsblogMASS political contributor Claire Wallace also profiled candidates in the Lynn and Somerville mayoral races:
