Today marks the last day voters can cast their ballots early in person in Massachusetts during an election season full of twists and turns.

All polling stations will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, from 7 a.m. (or earlier) to 8 p.m. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by the same date.

The state first allowed early voting in 2016, but since then city clerks say it’s a popular way for voters to make their voices heard.

“We’ve been very busy,” said Mary Maslowski, Yarmouth’s city clerk. “We were just under 4,000 (people) in 2020 with in-person early voting. So we are… slightly behind, but close to where we were.

This year in Yarmouth, an average of 200 residents took advantage of early voting each day, Maslowski said. In Mashpee, it’s even higher.

“We do about 250 a day,” said City Clerk Deborah Kaye. “(It’s) people coming in. We’re still getting mail-in ballots, too.”

Many local voters said they voted early because they were eager to avoid lines – and avoid any illness – on November 5.

“It’s the best thing since sliced ​​bread,” Maryann Kulpa said of early voting in Harwich. She said she was worried about the election results.

“Then it’s over.” I voted,” she said through tears. “I got there early because there are so many colds and flus that if I got sick I would be horrified if I didn’t vote.”

Local Democrats cite abortion, immigration and ‘stability’ to motivate vote for Harris

Kulpa said her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris was guided by her concerns about how former President Donald Trump could undermine access to safe and legal abortions across the country.

“I come from the time when women used hangers,” she said. “So that’s at the top of the list.”

In Barnstable, Carol Chandler, 65, went to the polls early with her son. She said the word to describe this election season was “scary.”

“Our country is divided,” she said. “It’s very stressful. This is probably the most stressful election of my life.”

Chandler said she, too, voted against Trump.

“It’s particularly painful for me to hear the kinds of things he says about immigrants and refugees,” she said. “I think immigrants and refugees built this country and continue to do so. »

For Ray Rahmberg in Harwich, voting against Trump was a vote against “insanity.”

“The first Trump presidency was – it seemed like every day there was chaos or something happening. And we just want stability and normalcy within the presidency,” he said with a laugh.

But not everyone on Cape Codder was pushing for Harris to become the next U.S. president.

Opinions vary: Cape Codders also express support for Trump

In Barnstable, Walter Murray, 80, said he was proud to have voted against the Harris campaign.

“I’m a patriot,” he said after voting. “The last four years of the last officials guided my vote to go against everything they have done.”

In Barnstable, Julie Fagin said her vote was guided by concerns about the economy.

“The prices on everything are too high. Groceries, gas – although it’s going down a little,” she said, “fuel oil, electricity, everything.”

Voters also face decisions regarding contested local races, the Cape and Islands state Senate seat, congressional races and five ballot questions – six for Barnstable County voters. In Harwich, Kelly Oloughlin said she looks forward to voting on the ballot questions.

“I read all the questions,” she said. “I really looked into some things that concerned me, especially question 2 on the MCAS. I have children at school who could be affected and I have many friends who are teachers.

But no matter how or when people vote, Oloughlin said, everyone should go to the polls.

“I always told my kids, ‘If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,’” she said with a laugh. “And you never know, right? Every vote counts. Local elections officials agreed.

Local officials attempt to answer election integrity questions

“Don’t be afraid to vote. Come vote, whether by mail, in person, early or on Election Day. You must vote. Just vote,” said Mashpee Town Clerk Deb Kaye.

City clerks and other officials have heard a number of concerns about election integrity from voters. “We are not deliberately going out of our way to do things that we are accused of. So it is,” Kaye paused, “it’s something we just deal with. »

In Yarmouth, Town Clerk Mary Maslowski said she hopes people will trust their local election officials this year, despite what they may have heard.

“With a lot of misinformation and a lot of accusations of voter fraud happening across the country,” she said, “if you look at the actual voter fraud numbers, the numbers prove that they are significantly lower than that. that we think. over there.

She said she wanted to assure voters that they were treating ballots with the utmost care and that the system protects against anyone filling out multiple ballots.

“Even if we send a second ballot to a voter, we will never be able to count more than one ballot per voter because of the way our system is set up and how the checks and balances work,” he said. she declared. said.

Officials are urging voters who received an absentee ballot in this election but have not yet mailed it to hand-deliver their ballot to their local election office or drop it off at a designated drop box . The closest to individual voters can be found at www.ballotbox.info.

Voters who received an absentee ballot can also vote in person on Election Day if they have not submitted their ballot, or if it has not yet arrived at their local election office, or if their ballot was rejected.

Voters can check the status of absentee ballots on the state’s website. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have until 8 p.m. on Election Day to return their ballots.