With 56 days to go until the general election, the Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin’s office has unveiled this year’s voter information packets that will be sent to every voter in the state starting this week.
These books are standard before a general election, describing what ballot questions voters will face in the election and what a yes and no vote means. With a record nine ballot questions this year — more than any in the past three decades — the booklet you’ll receive will look more like a dissertation than a newsletter.
The voter information packet will be 88 pages long, detailing each of the nine ballot questions, ranging from straightforward to complex. At that length, the booklet is a record-breaker in itself, beating the 1998 booklet by some 16 pages.
“There are simple questions. Like Question 1, expanding public records laws, is a simple straightforward thing. But then the other questions like the environmental question, the single primary — those ones are more complex. A lot more detail involved,” said Galvin.
Galvin said Tuesday that even though this year ties the previous record for the number of ballot questions (from 1994, 1976 and 1972), it’s different because of how complex the questions are. Some of the questions could fundamentally change how the state functions as an electorate.
“There are all these diverse questions that affect people, not just theoretically, but where they live in a real way. And yet they’re (voters) are the one who need to make the decision,” said Galvin.
Galvan said it’s a lot of pressure to put on voters, and he’s heard some people say they plan to just vote no on everything. But even though it’s a lot to read and review in a short time, he said its important to go into the voting booth educated.
“That’s why I think the booklet is so important. Because it provides people with background information,” he said.
The booklets are designed to be a tool at home, but will also be available at the polls incase folks want to freshen up their decisions before heading in to mark their ballot.
They were sent out Tuesday, and should be arriving in mailboxes within the next few days.
