Even while the COVID-19 pandemic has the country’s daily movements in its grip, the 2020 general election has shaped up to be historic with record numbers of votes cast before Election Day.
In Massachusetts, 2,342,656 votes in total were cast by Monday, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Of those, 967,224 were cast in-person, with 1,375,432 returns through the postal system.
The presidential race held many in the country rapt and appears to be the biggest draw for voters.
Haley Shaw, who lives in Salem, told the North Boston News she is definitely voting and the presidential race is very important.
“I feel like it is every year, but it sort of feels like this year is the most important because it feels like it's a race of values,” Shaw told the North Boston News.
When deciding which names to tick on a ballot, Shaw based her decisions on whether a candidate values this nation’s foundation.
“For me it's who or, do they value the Constitution,” said Shaw. “So do they believe in the First Amendment? The Second Amendment? The first 10 amendments, really, but those top two I think are the most important, and if a candidate supports that, that's the most important to me.”
Who ends up in the White House isn’t the only matter on the line for Shaw, however. She voted on every race on the ballot.
In Massachusetts, they are voting on senate seats, which Shaw thinks is very important. The state generally votes in Democrats, but despite the consistent trend, Shaw thinks it is important to cast a vote.
“We're given that opportunity by being citizens of this country, and there's plenty of people that are the first to complain, but don't want to do anything about it and voting is the easiest way to have your voice heard,” said Shaw.
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