Politics & Government

Election Day in Boston: 'Record' Turnout Possible, Expect Lines During Peak Times

Due to anticipated crowds, Boston officials are asking residents to vote during "off peak" times during the day, if possible.

City officials said to expect long lines on Tuesday's election day in Boston for a possible "record" turnout. 

"Lines are always longest first thing in the morning and after 4 p.m., so if voters' schedules allow, they should vote during non-peak hours," said Emilee Ellison, a spokesperson for the city of Boston. 

Non-peak hours are traditionally from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Polls open at 7 a.m. and will stay open until 8 p.m. Polls will remain open to all residents in line by 8 p.m. Residents can check their voter current status on the city's website before they show up, as well. 

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Officials also said they were encouraging voters to read up on the three ballot questions ahead of time. Question 1 asks voters whether they support right to repair, Question 2 asks about assisted suicide and Question 3 asks about the legalization of medical marijuana. 

There are currently 387,142 registered voters in the city of Boston heading into Tuesday's election day. In in the 2008 election, 236,525 ballots were cast out of 380,881 registered voters, a rate of 62 percent. With not only a presidential election but also a highly anticipated U.S. Senate race, those numbers could be even higher during this year's election day. 

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The City of Boston said it has more than the number of ballots required to satisfy all registered voters eligible to participate tomorrow. Since September’s primary elections, the City has registered an additional 28,930 voters.

Registered Democratic voters total 211,316; Republican voters total 25,903; unenrolled voters total 147,858; and Green-Rainbow and other designations total 2,065. 


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