Election 2020 Woburn Voter Guide: Early Voting Begins Saturday

Christopher Huffaker
Updated ·5 min read

WOBURN, MA — Voters in Woburn will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, there are several key races at the state and local level, as well as two ballot questions. Voting will be different this year thanks to rules approved to expand early and mail-in voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 24. You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where you can also find your polling place.

Registering To Vote

The registration deadline is Oct. 24.

If you have a state driver's license or ID, you can register online at www.RegisterToVoteMA.com. You can also download mail-in registration forms, which must be post-marked or delivered to City Hall in person by Oct. 24.

You can send your registration form to the City Clerk, Woburn City Hall, 10 Common St, Woburn, MA 01801. You can also register in person at City Hall, including special registration hours on Oct. 24: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Full in person registration hours are available here.

You can check your registration online at www.sec.state.ma.us.

Mail-in Voting

Vote-by-mail applications must be received by the Woburn city clerk by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

All voters are also eligible to vote by mail, this year. You should've received an application from the Secretary of State's office ahead of the state primary. If not, you can download an application online and send it to the city clerk by mail, deposit in the drop box at City Hall or email it to ballot@woburnma.gov.

Electronic applications must have handwritten signatures.

Ballots may be returned by mail, in person at the City Clerk's office, using the drop box at the rear of City Hall, or at the early voting location. They cannot be delivered at your Election Day polling place.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
You can track your ballot here.

Early voting

Voters have the option of early, in-person voting at old Wyman School at 679 Main Street at the intersection of Eaton Avenue on the following dates and times. Enter through the door on Newbury Street.

Saturday, Oct. 17 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 – 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 – 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29 – 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30 – 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Election day voting:

Polls in Massachusetts are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. You can also use the Secretary of State’s website to find your polling place.

  • Ward 1: Joyce Middle School, 55 Locust St.

  • Ward 2: Shamrock Elementary, 60 Green St.

  • Ward 3: Hurld-Wyman Elementary, 39 Wyman St.,

  • Ward 4, Precinct 1: former Wyman School, 679 Main St at Eaton Ave.

  • Ward 4, Precinct 2: White Elementary, 36 Bow St.,

  • Ward 5: Goodyear Elementary, 41 Central St.

  • Ward 6: Altavesta Elementary, 990 Main St.,

  • Ward 7: Reeves Elementary, 240 Lexington St.

For questions about voting in Woburn, contact the Woburn City Clerk’s Office at wcampbell@cityofwoburn.com or 781-897-5850.

Key Races

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

President/Vice President

  • Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)

  • Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) - Incumbent

  • Howie Hawkins/Angela Walker (Green-Rainbow)

  • Jo Jorgenson/Spike Cohen (Libertarian)

Congress

U.S. House 5th District

  • Katherine Clark (Democrat) - Incumbent

  • Caroline Colarusso (Republican)

Read more: MA 5 Debate: Where Clark, Colarusso Stand On National Issues

U.S. Senate

  • Edward Markey (Democrat) - Incumbent

  • Kevin O'Connor (Republican)

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.

Read more: MA 2020 Ballot Questions: Right To Repair, Ranked-Choice Voting

Running unopposed:

Massachusetts Senate, 4th Middlesex District, Cindy Friedman
Massachusetts House, 30th Middlesex District, Richard Haggerty
Massachusetts House, 15th Middlesex District, Michelle Ciccolo
Governor's Council, 3rd District, Marilyn Petitto Devaney
Register of Probate, Tara DeCristofaro

Key election dates to be aware of:

  • Oct. 24 — Last day to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

  • Oct. 28 — Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot.

This article originally appeared on the Woburn Patch