Massachusetts voters face unusually packed ballot

After months of election ads, campaign texts and more, the midterm elections are finally here.

This Election Day, the balance of Congress is the main talking point. There’s a chance for Democrats to flip both the House of Representatives and the Senate with major implications for President Donald Trump’s agenda for the second half of his term. While polling shows that while the Massachusetts races are looking blue, two battleground elections are in New England: Democrat Troy Jackson is hoping to unseat longserving Republican Susan Collins in Maine and in a wide-open race in New Hampshire Democrat Chris Pappas could become the first openly gay man elected to the Senate if he beats former Sen. John Sununu.

But in Massachusetts, when the polls open at 7 a.m., voters will be looking at one of the longest ballots ever. The ballot includes the governor’s race between incumbent Maura Healey and Republican billionaire Mike Minogue, Sen. Ed Markey looking to keep his seat from challenger John Deaton, and nine, yes nine, ballot questions.

More: Ballot q’s, top races: Here’s your cheat sheet on MA 2026 election

Here’s what to know today, Nov. 3, from how to vote this morning to election results tonight.

Will Democrats hold onto majorities in the Legislature?

09:00 AM ET, November 3 2026, Margie Cullen

The Massachusetts Legislature is fully controlled by Democrats. The state House of Representatives has a Democratic supermajority of 131-25, with one vacancy and three unenrolled, and the state Senate has a Democratic supermajority of 35-5. Democrats have controlled both bodies since 1958.

Competition for these seats is meager this November and Republicans face national headwinds, suggesting it’s likely Democrats will retain a firm grip on power in the Bay State.

U.S. Senate and House mostly decided, but some still contested

07:30 AM ET, November 3 2026, Margie Cullen

All of Massachusetts federal incumbents up for re-election defeated their primary challengers in a loss for generational change candidates. Now, all the Democratic nominees are favored to win their general election against fairly unknown Republicans in the deep blue state. Some, including Rep. Richard Neal, Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Katherine Clark and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, don’t even face a general election opponent.

Massachusetts will see at least one new member of the federal delegation, however, as Rep. Seth Moulton did not seek re-election (he ran unsuccessfully for Senate instead). Democrat Dan Koh, a former White House official, won the primary to replace him.

Here are the contested races:

Senate: Democrat Sen. Ed Markey vs. Republican John Deaton

3rd Congressional District: Democrat Rep. Lori Trahan vs. Republican Gary Grossi

4th Congressional District: Democrat Rep. Jake Auchincloss vs. Republican Thomas Stalcup

6th Congressional District: Democrat Dan Koh vs. Republican Micah Quinney Jones

Are you registered to vote?

07:07 AM ET, November 3 2026, Katie Landeck

While one of the ballot questions could change this for future Massachusetts elections, as of right now the state does not allow for same day registration. That means, you’ll need to have already registered to vote.

You can check your registration on the Secretary of State website https://www.sec.state.ma.us/voterregistrationsearch/

What are the Massachusetts ballot questions?

06:30 AM ET, November 3 2026, Margie Cullen

Voters will see a whopping nine questions on their ballot this fall, a number that ties a record set in 1994. They span a gambit of topics: one seeks to roll back legal marijuana sales in the state, while another seeks to establish all-party primaries. Some have inspired legal fights, protests and floods of cash.

Here’s a short primer on each one.

Question 1: This proposal, backed by Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio, would make most records held by the governor’s office and Legislature subject to the state’s public records law.

Question 2: This proposal would allow employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to form a union.

Question 3: This proposal would change Massachusetts’ primary elections, starting in 2028, into non-partisan, all-party primaries where the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, would advance to the general elections.

Question 4: This question, proposed by Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin, would allow Massachusetts voters to register at the polls on Election Day – also known as same-day voter registration.

Question 5: Business groups are pushing this question that would make the state revenue surplus cap law account for money from the millionaire’s surtax.

Question 6: This proposed law would establish a “Nature for All Fund” that would receive 50% of state taxes from sporting goods, recreational vehicles and golf courses. The money would be used for natural resource conservation, such as protecting green spaces and bodies of water.

Question 7: Pushed as an initiative to make more affordable “starter homes,” this law would allow single-family homes to be built on lots as small as 5,000 square feet, provided they are set at least a little back from the road.

Question 8: This question would backtrack on Massachusetts’s recent trend of increasingly legalizing marijuana by instead repealing provisions in the current law that allow for the drug to be sold commercially in the state.

Question 9: This is a referendum question on the 2024 gun reform law known as Chapter 135 that strengthened Massachusetts gun regulations. A yes vote would uphold the law, while a no vote would repeal it.

Who is on the ballot in Massachusetts this election?

06:06 AM ET, November 3 2026, Katie Landeck

This is one of the longer ballots Massachusetts voters have ever seen, due in part to nine ballot questions. Exactly what is your ballot will depend on what district you are in, but some elections, like the Governor’s race and the ballot questions, will be on everyone’s ballot.

The state races that will be on everyone’s ballot include:

Governor & Lieutenant GovernorMaura Healey and Kimberly Driscoll, Democratic

Mike Minogue and Shawn Oliver, Republican

Andrea James and Kayla Kittredge, Independent

Attorney GeneralAndrea Joy Campbell, Democratic

Michael C. Walsh, Republican

Secretary of StateWilliam Francis Galvin, Democratic

Anne R. Brensley, Wayland, Republican

TreasurerDeborah B. Goldberg,Democratic

Elizabeth Dionne, Republican

AuditorDiana DiZoglio, Democratic

Al Ozonoff, Libertarian

Where to vote: How to find your polling place

05:30 AM ET, November 3 2026, Katie Landeck

Where you vote in Massachusett on Election Day is based on your address. To find your location, the Secretary of State has a tool on their website you can find here: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/WhereDoIVoteMA/WhereDoIVote/

What time do the polls open today in Massachusetts

05:06 AM ET, November 3 2026, Katie Landeck

After months of campaign ads, the midterm elections are finally here.

If you’re planning to vote today, the polls across Massachusetts will open at 7 a.m. across the state. However, some towns may start voting as early as 5:45 a.m. You can check the polling hour of your municipality with your local elections office.

What is consistient across the Bay State is when polls close: 8 p.m. If you’re in line when polls close, you can still vote.

The Secretary of State’s office has two numbers people can contact with questions about when or where they can vote, 1-800-462-VOTE (8683) or 617-727-2828.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Election Day live: Massachusetts voters face unusually packed ballot