11:45
The last local race to be called was the contest for the Plymouth and Barnstable state Senate seat. Dylan Fernandes narrowly topped Mathew Muratore, with the final tallies coming down to the towns of Mashpee and Plympton. The seat was among the most hotly contested in the state, after the former state senator Susan Moran decided not to run again. Muratore telephoned Fernandes to offer congratulations at around 11:30pm, even as the Democratic watch party was breaking up to go elsewhere, because the restaurant was closing.
In all the other contested races, the incumbents came out on top.
The local races finished this way:
- 1st Barnstable district, Chris Flanagan (D)
- 2nd Barnstable district, Kip Diggs (D)
- 3rd Barnstable district, David Vieira (R)
- Plymouth and Barnstable state Senate seat, Dylan Fernandes (D)
- Cape and Islands state Senate, Julian Cyr (D)
- Barnstable County Commissioners, Sheila Lyons (D) and Mark Forest (D)
- 9th Congressional district, Bill Keating (D)
In uncontested races:
- Upper Cape and Islands district, Thomas Moakley (D)
- Clerk of courts for Barnstable County Superior Court, Susan Moran (D)
- 4th Barnstable district, Hadley Luddy (D)
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11pm
10:15pm
"Everybody is on the edge of their seats here," CAI's Jennette Barnes reports from the campaign watch party for Mathew Muratore, in Plymouth. At the moment, just a few hundred votes separate Muratore from Dylan Fernandes, with both candidates having gotten over 28,000 votes, but several towns not yet reporting.
"This whole race, for a lot of people, is about the bridge—what side of the bridge you live on," Muratore told CAI's Jennette Barnes as he awaits further results. "As you can see, I'm winning this side of the bridge [Plymouth], and Dylan [Fernandes] is winning the other side of the bridge."
Bill Keating (D - incumbent) has declared victory in the 9th Congressional district.
9pm
Some local races were decided before they went off today. Thomas Moakley (D) had no opposition, as he will officially become the state rep for the Upper Cape and Islands, a seat formerly held by Dylan Fernandes (D).
Susan Moran, formerly the state Senator for the Plymouth and Barnstable district, is running unopposed for the clerk of courts for Barnstable County Superior Court.
Hadley Luddy is running unopposed for state rep for the 4th Barnstable district, which includes the Outer Cape.
Among the contested races:
- 1st Barnstable district, Chris Flanagan (D) and Jerry O’Connell (R)
- 2nd Barnstable district, Democratic Kip Diggs (incumbent) and Republican Susanne Conley
- 3rd Barnstable district, Republican David Vieira (incumbent) and Democratic Kathy Fox Alfano
- Plymouth/Barnstable Senate seat, Dylan Fernandes (D) and Mathew Muratore (R)
- Cape and Islands Senate Julian Cyr (D) Christopher Lauzon (R ) Unenrolled Joe Van Nes.
- Barnstable County Commissioner, Sheila Lyons, Cynthia Stead, Mark Forest, and Ron Beaty Jr.
Paul Niedzwiecki, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, tells Mindy Todd on CAI this evening, he believes the Plymouth/Barnstable state Senate seat is among the closest races across the state.
8pm
Polls are closed across Massachusetts. Any voters already in line at 8pm will be allowed to cast a ballot.
Now eyes turn toward the returns. Locally, the race for the Plymouth/Barnstable state Senate seat is one to watch. It's an open seat, and the two candidates are both sitting state reps, Dylan Fernandes (D) and Mathew Muratore (R). Our reporter Jennette Barnes is at the Muratore watch party event in Plymouth, while our reporter Elsa Partan is at the Fernandes watch party event in Falmouth. Mindy Todd will be speaking with them both on-air in the 8 o'clock hour.
Also of particular interest this evening, locally: Ballot Question 2, which deals with eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement, and Question 5, which proposes a minimum wage for tipped workers.
Barnstable County will be watching results for Ballot Question 6, which deals with altering the county budgeting process to give the Assembly of Delegates more power.
Tune in to hear our national and local coverage, and stay with us online through the evening.
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3pm
Bourne voters lined up before the polls opened
In Bourne, at the community center, poll warden Mac Smith said voters were lined up outside the door before the polls opened.
“Turnout has been brisk today,” Smith said. “There was a waiting line at 7:00 this morning. … Probably 60 people outside waiting. Which is a little higher than it was four years ago. There's almost always somebody here eager to vote and get to work.”
George Slade, a member of the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates, was holding signs outside the polling place at the Veterans’ Memorial Community Center. Slade is not on the ballot this time around. He said the stark difference between the presidential candidates seemed to be driving a strong turnout.
“Given the fact that they had early voting for a long time – that was very, very active,” Slade said. “It's a presidential year – I think that's what really brings people out. And, especially, the candidates are so – I call them divisive, a little bit. I mean, they really put an accent point on the fact that we have two different points of view.”
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2pm
Town clerk says Marion turnout could top a previous high
In Marion, Town Clerk Lissa Magauran said voting has been going very well today. She said the turnout is likely to break records, and she hasn’t seen any conflict at the town’s only polling place at the community center.
“I think people are excited and happy,” Magauran said. “I've been surprised because there's been so much anxiety out there that I was a little bit worried that we'd have some kind of, you know – people maybe being a little bit aggressive. But they've been they've been great. Everybody's friendly and calm, and that's very helpful to us as election workers.”
Magauran called the early-morning turnout at the polling place at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, “unbelievable.” She said in the last presidential election, Marion saw a voter turnout of 87.5 percent, and she expected to top that number today.
“After four hours,” she said, “we are at, in person, about 800, which is unbelievable. It's blown every record out. People have been very calm. They've been kind. And we're glad they're here. And they're all trying to get each other out to vote, which is what we want.”
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6am, Nov 5
Election Day begins: here’s how to follow the local results
Today, across the Cape, Coast, and Islands, thousands will cast ballots in an historic presidential election.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Locally, voters are being faced with decisions about congressional races, seats in the state Senate and House of Representatives, county representatives, hotly contested ballot questions, and more.
Tune in tonight as CAI's live local election night coverage begins at 8 p.m with Mindy Todd hosting, joined by in-studio guests. She'll be speaking to reporters in the field at campaign watch parties. We'll have the local results, online and on-air, for office races and ballot questions.
Dive in to CAI's full election run-up coverage: debates, ballot questions, more
This web post will be updated throughout the day and evening — bookmark it and check back in frequently.
