By Sue Ellen Woodcock
Voters on Tuesday will choose between the teams of Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine; Gary Johnson and William Weld; Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka; or Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
Also on the ballot several unopposed races. Katherine Clark for US Congress; Terrence Kennedy for sixth district councillor; Joe Boncore for State Senate; Robert DeLeo for State Rep.; and Steven Tompkins for sheriff.
While this is a Presidential election other officials are also on the ballot and many of them are running unopposed.
Also unopposed is Winthrop’s State Sen. Senator Joe Boncore, also a Democrat, said he is helping out his colleagues who have opposition. Down on Cape Cod he’s been stumping for Julian Cyr. In the Lawrence area it’s been Barbara L’italian and in the Springfield area Boncore has been stumping for Eric Lesser.
“I’ve been up to New Hampshire a couple of times for Hillary and looking at that election,†Boncore said, adding that he hopes early voting doesn’t deter people from coming out on election days.
As for the ballot question neither candidate has a favorite one, although Vincent is against Question 1 regarding a slots parlor.
“The best way to legislate is not through ballot question but through legislators,†Boncore said, Vincent agreed.
Voters will also vote for one of four candidates for Register of Deeds — Stephen Murphy, Margherita Ciampa-Coyne, Joseph Donnelly Jr. or John Keith.
Running unopposed for Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District are: Michael Wall, Henry Hooten, Judith Dyment, Peter Orsetti Jr., Lawrence Means,, Vincent Carisella, John Bradley and Deborah Davis. running contested seat for the same committee are Jeanne Feeley versus Richard Gerokoulis and Ron Jannino versus Louis Spagnola. Incumbent Dawne Armistead, from Winthrop is running a write-in campaign for the Winthrop seat although the ballot appears blank.
Finally voters will tackle four ballot initiative questions. Question 1 seeks to allow the state Gaming Commission to issue one license for a shot parlor casino with 1,250 slot machines. Question 2 attempts to expand the number of charter schools in the state. Question 3 asks voters to stop putting animals, like chickens and pigs, in confined situations. Question 4 asks whether or not recreational marijuana should be legalized.
There are 12,230 registered voters in Winthrop.