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It’s finally here.

After months of endless campaign ads, social media memes and texts urging you to donate, Massachusetts voters are weighing in on everything from a historic presidential election to the legalization of magic mushrooms.

About 1.7 million Massachusetts voters have already made their choice through early voting and voting by mail, Secretary of State Bill Galvin said. Galvin said Monday he expects Massachusetts turnout set to break 2020 record almost 3.7 million members.

Voters have until 8 p.m. to cast their ballots—if you get in line by then, you’ll still be able to vote. If you still don’t know where to go, Election information can be found here. It’s too late to register to vote, but if you’re voting in Massachusetts for the first time or are listed as an inactive voter, you will have to show ID when you go to the polls.

All eyes will be on the race at the top of the ticket, where Vice President Kamala Harris is seeking to stop former President Donald Trump from winning a second term in the Oval Office. This race is not particularly competitive in Massachusetts, a state Harris is expected to win. But the campaigns, and those of us watching them, will be particularly focused on what’s happening in the seven key states where the two candidates are in close races: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. .

We will post election results here as they become available..

On the local front, the hottest debates are not over a particular seat. More likely, the defenders spent millions of dollars pros and cons five ballot questions that could impact aspects of everyday life, from eliminating high school graduation requirements to promoting transparency in state government.

Here’s an overview of these questions. A yes vote will support the measures proposed below; “no” will maintain the status quo:

• Question 1 asks voters whether the state auditor’s office should have the power to audit the state Legislature. Here is a video explanation.
• Question 2 is seeking to get rid of the public school requirement that high school students take the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as MCAS, standardized tests to graduate. Video explainer
• Question 3 would give Uber and Lyft drivers the right to organize a union. Video explainer
• Question 4 allows voters to decide whether people 21 and older can grow, use and share five psychedelic substances found in mushrooms or plants. It would also allow licensed psychedelic therapy centers to sell them for supervised consumption on site. Video explainer
• Question 5 seeks to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers in Massachusetts, such as servers, to $15 an hour. It will also allow tips to be pooled with other non-customer-facing employees, such as cooks. Video explainer

In the Massachusetts election, US Senator Elizabeth Warren faces John Deatonpersonal injury lawyer and cryptocurrency advocate who tried to run as an anti-Trump Republican. The two clash over immigration, the economy and just about every other issue as Deaton faces an uphill battle to unseat the two-term senator. We took a look at Warren’s record during her last term in office.

Of Massachusetts’ nine congressional representatives (all Democrats), only four have Republican or independent challengers: Richard Neal in the First District, Jim McGovern in the Second, Stephen Lynch in the Eighth, and Bill Keating in the Ninth.

You can find more information about all the candidates and topics on your ballot at our complete voter guide to 2024.

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AT THE POLLING PLACES In response to the threats, officials across the country turned their vote-counting centers into fortresses and trained election workers in de-escalation tactics. But the real election risk may come later, during between the counting of votes and the publication of certified results. (Atlantic).

ON TV In the final hours before voters finish voting, final messages from presidential candidates arrive in the form of digital ads. Here’s an overview of what they’re trying to convey.. (New York Times)

Springfield New England public media serving the Western masses has Spanish version its website with detailed election coverage, including explanations of voting questions. Here is their opinion on question 5.. (NEPM)

NEW HAMPSHIRE The two voters who cast ballots for Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary earlier this year cast their ballots for different candidates for president. Their reasons are part of a larger trend between the two sides – gender gap among voters. (Boston Globe)

IN THE VOTING BOOTH About 20 percent of people are in marriages in which their political party is different from that of their spouse. If the gap between men and women widens, abortion may be one of the reasons. (19th)

MASSACHUSETTS The writers and editors of Commonwealth Beacon have an interesting take on the state’s five ballot questions: They note that each one is related to work: the workplace or the workforce. They discussed this on a recent Codcast.. (Commonwealth Lighthouse)

PENNSYLVANIA The state’s high court still won’t make a final ruling on whether undated ballots should be counted, meaning they won’t be counted in this election. Status of undated mail ballots has been shaking up Pennsylvania for years. (Politician)

WISCONSIN Vice President Kamala Harris is harnessing star power in the final stretch of her campaign, appearing on stage with a slew of rappers and singers designed to appeal to a large tent of voters. Here’s why it’s important. (Boston Globe)

PENNSYLVANIA Former President Donald Trump on Sunday spoke about shooting reporters and said he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after his 2020 defeat. His statements are based on cruel rhetoric and conspiracies. he advanced during the campaign. (AP)

ONLINE A network of conservative activists and conspiracy theorists promoting election denial has grown online. They are preparing to fight the results of 2024, this time they have a tech billionaire on their side. (Washington Post)

ON THE BIG SCREEN From a young Katie Holmes in First Daughter to the mistaken identity film Dave, there are several political comedies and rom-coms that can help ease pre-election tensions. (CNN)

IN YOUR WALLET Free donuts and frozen yogurt, discounts on attractions and pizza. Companies like Uber, Lyft, Krispy Kreme, and Ikea are now offering special deals and freebies. So vote and then reward yourself. (Quartz)

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The Boston Globe’s team of reporters covering the 2024 election recently answered questions around the state on the social media forum Reddit. Here’s a sample:

Question. NewtPlenty7234: There appear to be many obstacles to giving the Auditor the powers needed to audit the legislature (AG vetoes, lawsuits, etc.).

If the vote passes, what are the biggest hurdles we’ll have to practically overcome for the review to proceed? How can the public best support these actions?

Globe reporter Matt Stout: If the question is accepted, it may depend on what the auditor actually intends to audit. But any move to force the Legislature to participate in audits under the new law could lead to a legal challenge that would send the case to court to decide what the state audit office can and can’t do. check. Given the Legislature’s opposition to any audit over the past two years, this seems the most likely path.

Q. Travisopharabia: On Question 5: We know that large corporations that own chain restaurants are investing significant money in the state for voting “no” on Question 5.

In your report, tell us how small independent restaurants look at this issue and what the waiters really think?

Research has shown that tipping culture has not changed much in states with similar minimum wage laws; however, tipping is now almost an obligatory courtesy; How do you think Massachusetts customers will react and what impact might we see on tipping culture if Question 5 is passed?

Globe reporter Diti Kohli: Of course, it’s a mixed picture. Some independent restaurants, like Juliet’s in Somerville, already pay their employees tips at or above the minimum wage of $15 and have built it into their business model. But many other business owners say their restaurants would fail if the measure passes.

There is little evidence that adopting the ballot would seriously reduce the amount of tips that waiters and bartenders receive. Research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that tipped workers in states without a minimum wage earn more than tipped workers in states where there is a difference between the minimum wage for tipped and non-tipped workers. tips. However, a large number of waiters and bartenders are still worried about their tips decreasing.

Q. Username peteysweet: The Legislature has changed ballot questions in the past, and most recently they delayed implementation of legalizing marijuana shops. Is there anything that prevents the legislature from repealing the first question if it passes?

Globe reporter Matt Stout: There is nothing stopping the Legislature from overriding most ballot questions. Some, such as the so-called millionaires tax amendment passed in 2022, are constitutional amendments that go through an entirely different process just to get on the ballot, including requiring a certain level of legislative approval. But all five of this year’s statewide ballot questions are proposed laws, meaning they could be changed or repealed if the Legislature chooses.

Here’s the full details on Reddit..

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Anjali Huynh can be reached at [email protected].