MELROSE, MA — Election Day is approaching, and Melrose voters will face a lengthy ballot with federal, statewide, and local district races.
The Massachusetts state election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3. Melrose residents will vote for governor, U.S. senator, state legislators, and other offices, along with nine statewide ballot questions. Here is what Melrose voters need to know before casting a ballot.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Melrose polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote, according to the Massachusetts Elections Division. The voter registration deadline is Saturday, Oct. 24. Residents can register, update an address, or check their registration through VoteInMA.
All registered Melrose voters will vote at the Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School, 90 Melrose St., on Election Day. Voting will take place in the middle school/high school gym, according to the city's election information page.
Residents can use the state's Where Do I Vote? lookup to confirm their registration information and view their sample ballot.
Early in-person voting will run from Saturday, Oct. 17 through Friday, Oct. 30 in the City Hall Chamber at Melrose City Hall, 562 Main St.
According to the city's posted schedule, voting hours will be:
All registered Melrose voters may use the early-voting site. No application is needed to vote early in person.
The deadline to request a mail-in or mailed absentee ballot is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. Applications must reach the local election office by that time. Residents may apply online through VoteInMA or submit an application to the Melrose Elections Office at City Hall, 562 Main St.
Completed ballots may be returned by mail, delivered to the Elections Office, or placed in the secure ballot drop box in the Essex Street alleyway between City Hall and the Melrose Post Office.
Ballots returned in person or by drop box must arrive by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots returned by domestic mail must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and arrive by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.
Voters can also track a mail-in ballot online.
The following candidates will appear on Melrose ballots, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's certified candidate list.
U.S. Senate: Edward J. Markey (D); John Deaton (R); Shiva Ayyadurai (I); Joe Tache (Socialism and Liberation).
Governor And Lieutenant Governor: Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll (D); Michael Minogue and Shawn Oliver (R); Andrea James and Kayla Kittredge (I).
Attorney General: Andrea Joy Campbell (D); Michael C. Walsh (R).
Secretary Of The Commonwealth: William Francis Galvin (D); Anne R. Brensley (R).
State Treasurer: Deborah B. Goldberg (D); Elizabeth Dionne (R).
State Auditor: Diana DiZoglio (D); Al Ozonoff (Libertarian).
U.S. House, 5th Congressional District: Katherine M. Clark (D).
Governor's Council, 6th District: Terrence W. Kennedy (D).
State Senate, 5th Middlesex District: Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D).
State House, 32nd Middlesex District: Leila Bhatti Migliorelli (D).
Northern District Attorney: Marian T. Ryan (D).
Middlesex County Register Of Probate: Tara E. DeCristofaro (D); Tara Martorella (Justice for All).
Voters can use the state's sample-ballot lookup to see the races and questions that will appear on their ballot.
Massachusetts voters will decide nine binding statewide questions, the most ever placed on a Massachusetts ballot, according to the official 2026 voter guide.
Question 1: Public Records. A yes vote would place most records held by the governor's office and Legislature under the state Public Records Law. A no vote would leave the current law unchanged.
Question 2: Public Defender Employees. A yes vote would specify that Committee for Public Counsel Services employees may unionize and collectively bargain. A no vote would leave the current labor law unchanged.
Question 3: State Primaries. A yes vote would replace party primaries for state offices with a single all-party primary, with the top two candidates advancing to the general election. A no vote would retain separate party primaries. Patch examined the proposal here.
Question 4: Election Day Registration. A yes vote would allow eligible residents to register or update their addresses at their polling places on Election Day beginning in 2028. A no vote would retain the advance registration deadline.
Question 5: State Revenue Limit. A yes vote would change the state revenue cap by linking it to the previous year's collections and average wage growth, with excess revenue returned to taxpayers. A no vote would leave the current system unchanged.
Question 6: Nature For All Fund. A yes vote would create a conservation fund supported by portions of the taxes collected from sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf-course use. A no vote would leave those tax revenues allocated under current law.
Question 7: Single-Family Housing. A yes vote would generally allow single-family homes on residential lots of at least 5,000 square feet that meet frontage, water, and sewer requirements. Municipalities could still regulate features including height, parking, and setbacks. A no vote would make no change.
Question 8: Recreational Marijuana Sales. A yes vote would repeal the legal, regulated retail market for recreational marijuana while continuing to allow limited adult possession. A no vote would preserve the current marijuana law.
Question 9: Firearms Law. A yes vote would keep the state's 2024 firearms law in place, including provisions covering ghost guns, assault-style weapons, and extreme-risk protection orders. A no vote would repeal the law. Read Patch's closer look at Question 9.
See Also:
Melrose Business Owner Honored With Immigrant Entrepreneur Award
Melrose Police Swears In 2 New Officers
Melrose School Waiting To Open New Playground To Students Months After Tragedy
Melrose Residents Asked To Weigh In On Community Power Changes
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