BOSTON (AP) — Civil rights groups say Massachusetts election officials are steadily responding to common Election Day issues at polling locations across the state.
Meryl Kessler, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, said in a Tuesday afternoon conference call with other groups that there have been reports of “excessively long lines” at polling locations in Boston.
She said at least seven communities reported broken voting machines including Boston, Springfield, Lawrence, New Bedford and Chelsea.
Rahsaan Hall, of the American Civil Liberties Union, said there have also been isolated complaints of translation services not being provided for non-native English speakers and poor access to polling locations for disabled residents.
But the election-monitoring groups say they’re generally satisfied voting issues are being resolved as they’re coming up.
Earlier this morning, the Republican governor of Massachusetts has held firm on his promise not to vote for GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Gov. Charlie Baker told WBZ-AM after voting Tuesday in his hometown of Swampscott that he did not cast a ballot for president. He says it’s the first time he has done that.
The moderate has said since March he would not vote for Trump. But he also said several times he had no intention of voting for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Baker has said Trump lacks the temperament to be president and Clinton has what he calls a believability problem.
The first-term governor has been vocal with his opinions on some statewide ballot questions. He supports a question to allow more charter schools, but opposes one that would legalize recreational marijuana.
Massachusetts voters are deciding whether to expand the number of charter schools or legalize marijuana as they help elect the nation’s next president.
Neither Republican Donald Trump nor Democrat Hillary Clinton have spent much time campaigning in Massachusetts ahead of Tuesday’s election, with most observers assuming the state will likely back Clinton.
The ballot questions are a different story, with several hotly contested battles.
Question 2 would allow the state board of education to approve up to 12 new or expanded charter schools each year.
Equally contentious is Question 4, which would legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
There are also a handful of congressional contests, with Democratic incumbent Reps. Richard Neal, Niki Tsongas, Joe Kennedy, Stephen Lynch and William Keating facing challengers.