Vineyarders will join the rest of the nation Tuesday in casting their ballots in the divisive presidential race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. 

Polls open at 7 a.m. in all six towns and close at 8 p.m. Aside from picking who will spend the next four years at the White House, Islanders will also weigh in on a series of ballot questions, a state senate seat, and a contested race for nine seats on the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. 

While election day is expected to draw thousands of Islanders, which has hit a new high for registered voters, more than 6,000 Vineyarders have already cast their ballots. As of Friday, the last day for early voting, 6,332 residents have already voted, with the most coming from Oak Bluffs. 

All six towns have already had between 30 per cent and 40 per cent of their registered voters weigh in, the highest being Chilmark at 39.9 per cent, according to data from the secretary of state Bill Galvin. 

Gosnold, the seventh town in Dukes County, ranks as one of the busiest early voting spots, with 53 per cent – or 53 of the 100 registered voters – having already cast their ballot. 

In the weeks leading up to the election, Island clerks said they are ready to handle the crowds, and expect high turnouts. 

In other races, state Sen. Julian Cyr, a Truro Democrat, is looking to hold off challenges from Christopher Lauzon, a Republican from Barnstable, and West Tisbury resident Joe Van Nes, an unenrolled dark horse candidate. 

The three men talked about their priorities in interviews with the Gazette earlier this fall. That story can be found here.

Even closer to home, 10 people are running for nine Martha’s Vineyard Commission seats.The Island-wide planning board considered large developments and projects that are expected to have a regional impact. Each town can only have two members elected. 

Jeff Agnoli, of Edgartown, Jay Grossman, of Chilmark,  Ben Robinson, of Tisbury, Doug Sederholm, of West Tisbury, Linda Sibley, of West Tisbury, and Brian Smith, of Oak Bluffs, are all looking to retain their seats on the regional planning commission. Michael MacKenty, who is serving on the commission now after the death of Edgartown commissioner Christina Brown, William O’Brien, of Tisbury, Mary Bernadette Budinger-Cormie, of Tisbury, and Amy Upton, of West Tisbury, have all also thrown their hats in the ring. 

Interviews with the candidates can be found here.

Some of the big ballot questions on the Island are Question 2, which asks voters to eliminate the requirement that students pass the 10th grade MCAS exam in order to graduate from high school, and Question 5, which would gradually increase the tipped minimum wage to $15 by 2029.

Thoughts from Island educators and restaurateurs on the questions can be found here.