Islanders Join Nation in Midterm Elections

Islanders will join the rest of the country Tuesday in casting their ballots in the midterm elections.

Polls open at 7 a.m. in all six towns and will close at 8 p.m.

Islanders will vote in the governor’s race between incumbent Maura Healey and Mike Minogue, decide whether to return U.S. Sen. Edward Markey to Washington over John Deaton, and choose between U.S. Rep. William Keating and challenger Tyler Macallister.

While there are several high profile races across the country that could decide which party controls the house and the senate, here in Massachusetts more focus has been paid to the ballot questions. 

There are nine ballot questions across the state, and Dukes County has a 10th non-binding referendum question. 

Islanders will weigh in on new legislation that could make it easier to build housing on traditionally undersized lots, the future of gun control in the Bay State, the deadline for voter registration and the future of recreational marijuana stores, among other topics.  

There has been strong turnout during the early voting and mail-in voting period ahead of the election. Just under 27 per cent of the approximately 17,000 voters on the Island have already cast their ballot, according to data released by the Secretary of the Commonwealth Monday. 

Chilmark has had the highest turnout percentage-wise, with 28.9 per cent of the 1,171 voters already casting their ballots. 

There is little competition further down the ballot in the local races. State Sen. Julian Cyr and State Rep. Thomas Moakley ran unopposed in the state primaries and have no opposition on Tuesday. District Attorney Robert Galibois is also running unopposed.

For the Island contests, there are fewer candidates on the ballot than there are open seats. Seven candidates – Tristan Israel, Randal Milch, Doug Ruskin, Christine Todd, Richard (Peter) Wharton, Michael Bellissimo and Katherine Putnam – are running for seven spots on the Dukes County Commission. 

There are five candidates on the ballot for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. Incumbents Benjamin Robinson, Ernest (Doug) Sederholm and Brian Smith are seeking another term. Newcomer Frederick Khedouri and former Edgartown appointed commission member Katherine Putnam are also looking to be elected. 

There are several other write-in campaigns for the commission, which oversees large developments on the Island. They include Bernadette Cormie, Michael MacKenty, Jannette Vanderhoop and Maria Krokidas.  

There are three candidates – Robert Lionette, Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter and Alexander Salop – for five seats on the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School committee. 

Town clerks have asked for people to study up before showing up at the polls given all of the ballot questions. They also noted that the ballot is several pages long, so check both sides of your ballot before turning them in. 

“Do your homework ahead of time because it is a long ballot,” West Tisbury town clerk Tara Whiting-Wells said last week.