Voting In Milford: Polls Now Open

MILFORD, MA —Election Day in Milford is here, even though voting has been going on for weeks in what is shaping up to be a historic election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, there are several key races at the state and local level, plus two statewide ballot questions. Milford will also be key in deciding the race between incumbent state Sen. Ryan Fattman and Democrat Christine Crean.

Milford is also one of the few communities where Ryan Fattman's reelection bid intersects with his wife, Stephanie Fattman, who is seeking another term as Worcester County Register of Probate against Democrat John Dolan.

Milford voters were also helping pick a replacement for outgoing U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the 4th Congressional District.

Voting will be different this year thanks to rules approved to expand early and mail-in voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

There are several ways residents can vote:

Mail-In Voting

Ballots can be returned by mail, emailed, faxed or returned by hand to the clerk's office. They can also be returned to the drop box at Milford Town Hall.

Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 3 and returned to the local election office no later than Nov. 6.

Regular voting

Polls in Massachusetts are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. You can also use the Secretary of State's website to find your polling place.

The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Milford voters:

President/Vice President

• Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)
• Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican)

House of Representatives

4th Congressional District

• Jake Auchincloss (D)
• Julie Hall (R)

U.S. Senate

• (i) Edward Markey (D)
• Kevin O'Connor (R)
• Andre Gray (Green)
• Frederick Mayock (I)

Ballot Questions

Question 1: "Right To Repair" Vehicle Access Requirement Initiative
Yes: A yes vote would require carmakers to expand access to mechanical data for all cars sold in Massachusetts beginning with model year 2022.
No: A no vote leaves the 2013 right-to-repair law unchanged.

Question 2: Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative
Yes: A yes vote favors adopting a system gives voters the option of ranking candidates on their ballot in order of preference, as opposed to selecting just one. And if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the least first-choice votes is eliminated, and the voters who preferred that candidate have their votes reallocated based on their second choices. Then the ballots are recounted and the process is repeated until one candidate breaks the 50 percent threshold.
No: A no vote keeps the current system in place.

Governor's Council

7th District

• Paul DePalo
• Write-in

State Senate

Worcester and Norfolk District

• (i) Ryan Fattman (R)
• Christine Crean (D)

State House

10th Worcester District

• (i) Brian Murray (D)

Register of Probate

Worcester County

• (i) Stephanie Fattman (R)
• John Dolan (D)