Cities like Worcester — where the poverty rate is twice as high as the state’s — may have trouble getting people to the polls this November. The state’s most disadvantaged and diverse urban communities often have some of the lowest voter turnout rates. In the last midterm election year, nine of the 10 municipalities with the lowest voter turnout were Gateway Cities.
Election 2026
Posted inBallot Questions
Political Notebook: Teachers vs. Smith & Wesson
The state’s largest teachers union is now the single biggest financial backer of keeping a 2024 gun control law on the books.
Posted inState Government
Pacheco wins Dartmouth-area primary as 14-vote margin holds
Pacheco claimed a 14-vote win with 2,493 votes to Medeiros’ 2,479 after the recount, according to results from the secretary of state’s office.
Posted inState Government
Galvin defends ballot questions as a ‘safety valve’ amid reform push
Lawmakers this year could move forward with changes to how initiative petitions get on the ballot. Now, other voices are also starting to weigh in, amid a particularly active election cycle for citizen-led petitions.
Posted inState Government
Brownsberger edges Lander by 35 votes after Senate race recount
The results conclude a nail-biting primary race for the Suffolk and Middlesex District, which became a proxy war over voter dissatisfaction with the Beacon Hill status quo and a test of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s political prowess.
Posted inBallot Questions
Deep-pocketed donors flood the ballot-question field with cash
Newly filed financial reports shed light on this election’s battle lines, which will pit business groups against unions, the marijuana industry against an out-of-state opponent, and transparency advocates against Beacon Hill itself.
Posted inState Government
Senators rally to Brownsberger as recount begins in tight race
The results of this week’s recount will settle who wins the district – a longtime incumbent and the third-most powerful Democrat in the Senate, or a challenger with the backing of political rival Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Healey underwater in new poll
A new MassINC Polling Group survey finds the incumbent governor with a net unfavorable rating among voters, but don’t overread the significance of one snapshot this far out from the election.
