Town of Amherst Sees Robust Early-Voting Turnout

The town of Amherst saw a high early voter turnout this election, despite no Amherst-specific proposals or elections.

Early voting lasted twelve days, from Oct. 19 to Nov. 1. Town Clerk Susan Audette said there were a total of 1,627 early voters. 5,300 people requested mail-in ballots, and as of Nov. 4, the office had received 3,800 of them back.

Voting by mail is available to all Massachusetts voters with no excuse needed. Voters had until five business days before the election to request a ballot.

Audette compared the figure to September’s state primaries, in which there were 115 voters over a five-day early voting period, a figure she felt was “pathetically low.” For the November election, “people are very interested,” Audette added.

This year, 14,701 people registered to vote in Amherst.

Audette also compared the figure to the 2020 presidential election. In 2020, there were 1,996 early voters, 9,025 mail-in ballots, and only 922 voters on Election Day itself. Numbers she felt were “representative [of] that time — during a pandemic.”

In October 2023, only three out of the college’s approximately 1850 students were registered to vote in Amherst. This year, the number has increased to 35. Students have the option to register either in Amherst or their hometown.

The Town Clerk’s office’s function is to “facilitate the running of elections,” not to “solicit people to vote,” Audette said, but in the past the office has facilitated events to encourage voter registration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

After the pandemic, Audette said she spoke to about 1,000 UMass students, none of which registered to vote, which she said was “interesting.”

She believes that over the pandemic, most students registered to vote at home and requested mail-in ballots. When the pandemic ended, “only some people registered to vote here again,” she said.

Students who are registered to vote in Massachusetts have five statewide questions to consider.

Question one considers expanding auditor authority. A yes vote on question one would grant the state auditor the authority to audit the state legislature. Question two proposes eliminating the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System as a high school graduation requirement.

Question three proposes allowing rideshare drivers to unionize. A yes vote on question four would legalize and regulate the use of some psychedelic drugs for licensed medical professionals and private parties who want to grow their own, and a yes vote on question five would raise the minimum wage for tipped workers.