On Election Day in Lawrence, political corruption, low voter turnout, and uncontested races converge
The city, recently mired in political corruption charges, had the state’s lowest election turnout in the 2022 midterms. This year, organizers, residents, and a write-in candidate worked to change that
Lawrence voters, candidates, and civic organizations alike grappled Tuesday with the cityโs recent political scandals, historically low turnout, and uncontested races as they tried to mobilize residents and make political change in the city. Though the city’s voter turnout rate increased slightly this election, it still has a long way to go.

Lessons โ and opportunities โ from starter home ballot question loss
As Democrats across the country celebrated historicย election victories as a mandate to tackle affordability, here in deep-blue Massachusetts voters rejected a tangible solution to one of the biggest drivers of our affordability crisis: housing costs.
PODCASTS
Your Massachusetts midterm rundown
On this episode of The Codcast, we get listeners all caught up on the political landscape in Massachusetts and around the country heading into the crucial 2026 midterm elections.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Commonwealth in depth
The Dean of Massachusetts mayors
Leominster bills itself as โa city on the move,โ but it hasnโt elected a new mayor in more than three decades
BY THE NUMBERS
Here’s why you should view polling results on ballot questions differently than polls on races between candidates
The share of respondents saying they favor a question is a better predictor of the election outcome than the gap between ‘yes’ and ‘no’ย
From the Archives
On Heritage Road
In the heart of suburbia, anxieties about the new economy
