Galvin Withholds Turnout Forecast for Massachusetts Midterms

William F. Galvin declined to provide a specific turnout projection for Tuesday's election, a departure from his usual pre-election briefing. The eight-term Democrat appeared at the State House on Monday, a venue typically used for operational updates and voter counts. He skipped the numbers to focus on the 250th anniversary of the nation and the need for civic participation.

Galvin described the midterms as a referendum on the economy and the direction of the country. He noted that a low turnout would be a poor commemoration of the anniversary. "For us not to have a significantly high turnout would be very distressful and not a great commemoration of our 250th anniversary," he said.

Statewide races in Massachusetts lack the intensity of contests in states like Texas or Michigan. Democrats hold every statewide and congressional office in the state, as well as a legislative supermajority. A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released this month shows Galvin and other constitutional officers leading their challengers by at least 20 percentage points. Galvin faces Republican nominee Anne Brensley in his bid for a ninth term.

Voters will face nine ballot questions, a record tie for a single election in the state. The measures include proposals to overhaul the primary election system, repeal a 2016 law legalizing recreational marijuana, and extend public records laws to the Legislature and governor's office. Galvin supports a question allowing Election Day registration, a change he has previously pushed in the Legislature.

More than 1.1 million people had voted early or by mail as of Monday. Galvin said he was not "terribly worried" about federal interference from the Trump administration. He noted that federal monitors are expected in Boston and Lowell to check language compliance at polling places. He expressed greater concern about private observers who might interfere with voters.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters in line by 8 p.m. may cast a ballot. Early voting and registration deadlines have passed. Galvin advised mail voters who have not yet returned ballots to drop them off at local election offices or drop boxes rather than mailing them.