Geographically, elections take place at several levels: nationally, statewide, district-wide, city-wide or town-wide, and by ward or precinct.
National Elections
National elections are for U.S. President and Vice President.
Statewide Elections
In Massachusetts, statewide elections are for U.S. Senators, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State Auditor, and State Treasurer and Receiver General.
District Elections
Massachusetts is divided into different voting districts for different offices. These voting districts are, respectively: 9 Congressional Districts to elect 9 Representatives to the U.S. Congress, 40 Senate Districts to elect 40 Senators to the General Court (Massachusetts Senate), 160 House Districts to elect 160 Representatives to the General Court (Massachusetts House of Representatives), 8 Districts to elect 8 Councillors to the Governor’s Council, 11 Districts to elect 11 District Attorneys, 14 Districts to elect 14 Sheriffs, and 21 Districts to elect 21 Registers of Deeds.
Local Elections
Massachusetts cities and towns are distinguished by their local forms of government. Cities typically have a mayor-council or a manager-council government system. The Mayor is directly elected by the voters to serve as chief executive. The Town Council typically consists of several members elected at-large (i.e., by a city-wide election) and one member elected from each of the city wards.
A town typically has a Town Meeting that serves as its legislature and a Select Board (aka Board of Selectmen/Selectwomen) that functions as its executive, and it may also have a Town Manager. Town meetings takes two forms: open town meetings and representative town meetings. Open town meeting is the form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town are eligible to vote, together acting as the town's legislature. Representative Town Meetings function largely the same as an Open Town Meeting except that not all registered voters can vote. The townspeople instead elect Town Meeting Members by precinct to represent them and to vote on the issues for them. Town Meeting is typically held annually in the spring, often over the course of several evenings, and additional special meetings may be called to address issues that arise in the town.
Town Meeting decides three major things:
- It sets the salaries for the elected officials.
- It votes to appropriate money to run the town.
- It votes on the town’s local statutes, which are called by-laws.
For more information, see the Citizen's Guide to Town Meetings.
Local governments also include various boards and committees, with some members elected and others appointed.
Statewide Officeholders
Office of Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll
Office of the Attorney General
Secretary of the Commonwealth Website
Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General
Senator Warren assumed office on January 3, 2013. She is the Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Link
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Share Your Opinion with Senator Elizabeth Warren
Boston Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren
2400 JFK Federal Building
15 New Sudbury Street
Boston, MA 02203
Phone: (617) 565-3170
Springfield Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren
1550 Main Street
Suite 406
Springfield, MA 01103
Phone: (413) 788-2690
Washington, DC Office of Senator Elizabeth Warren
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4543
Senator Markey assumed office on July 16, 2013, after having served in the U.S. House of Representative from 1976 to 2013.
Link
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Share Your Opinion with Senator Ed Markey
Boston Office of Senator Ed Markey
975 JFK Federal Building
15 New Sudbury Street
Boston, MA 02203
Springfield Office of Senator Ed Markey
1550 Main Street 4th Floor
Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 785-4610
Washington, DC Office of Senator Ed Markey
255 Dirksen Senate
Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202)224-2742
Massachusetts is divided into different districts to elect U.S. Congressional Representatives, State Senators, State Representatives, Councillors to the Governor’s Council, District Attorneys, Sheriffs, and Registers of Deeds.
Katherine Clark represents the 5th Congressional District which includes the North Shore cities of Revere and Winthrop.
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District Office
157 Pleasant St, Suite 4
Malden, MA 02148
Phone: (617) 354-0292
Hours: To mitigate the spread of coronavirus, District office staff will be working remotely. Please call if you need assistance.
Metrowest Regional Office
By appointment only
116 Concord Street, Suite 1
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: (508) 319-9757
Washington, D.C. Office
2368 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2836
Hours: To mitigate the spread of coronavirus, D.C. office staff will be working remotely. Please call if you need assistance.
Seth Moulton represents the 6th Congressional District which includes the North Shore cities and towns of Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, and Swampscott.
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Salem Office of Representative Seth Moulton
21 Front Street
Salem, MA 01970
Phone: (978) 531-1669
Fax: (978) 224-2270
Washington, DC Office of Representative Seth Moulton
1127 Longworth
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-8020
Fax: (202) 225-5915
Massachusetts General Court (Legislature)
The General Court consists of the State Senate and the State House of Representatives.
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper chamber of the Massachusetts General Court. Alongside the Massachusetts House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Massachusetts state government and works alongside the governor of Massachusetts to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Massachusetts State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. (Source: BALLOTPEDIA) Link
Massachusetts House of Representative
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Massachusetts General Court. Alongside the Massachusetts State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Massachusetts state government and works alongside the governor of Massachusetts to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Massachusetts House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes. (Source: BALLOTPEDIA) Link
Massachusetts Senate
The Second Essex Senate District includes Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, and Salem.
State House Office
The First Essex and Middlesex Senate District includes Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Newbury, Newburyport. Rockport, Rowley, and Salisbury.
State House Office
The Third Essex Senate District includes Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott.
State House Office
The Third Suffolk Senate District Revere and Winthrop.
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Massachusetts House
8th Essex—Consisting of Ward 3 Precinct 4 and Ward 4 Precinct 3A, 4, of the city of Lynn, and the towns of Marblehead and Swampscott, all in the county of Essex.
State House Office | Newsletter Sign-Up
10th Essex—Consisting of Ward 1 Precincts 2A, 3, 4, Ward 2, Ward 3 Precincts 1, 2, 3, Ward 4 Precincts 1, 2, and Ward 5 Precinct 3, of the city of Lynn, in the county of Essex.
State House Office
11th Essex—Consisting of Ward 4 Precinct 3, Ward 5 Precincts 1, 2, and 4, Ward 6, and Ward 7, of the city of Lynn, and the town of Nahant, both in the county of Essex.
State House Office
7th Essex—Consisting of the city of Salem, in the county of Essex.
State House Office
5th Essex—Consisting of the towns of Essex, Rockport, and Manchester-by-the-Sea, and the city of Gloucester, all in the county of Essex.
State House Office
16th Suffolk—Consisting of Precincts 3, and 10, of the town of Saugus, in the county of Essex; Ward 1 Precinct 3, Ward 2 Precinct 3, Ward 3, Ward 4, and Ward 6, of the city of Revere, in the county of Suffolk.
State House Office
20th Middlesex—Consisting of the town of Lynnfield, Precincts 1, 2A, and 3, of the town of Middleton, both in the county of Essex; the town of North Reading, and Precincts 1, 7, and 8, of the town of Reading, both in the county of Middlesex.
State House Office
2nd Essex—Consisting of the towns of Georgetown, Hamilton, Ipswich, Newbury, and Rowley, and Precinct 1, of the town of Topsfield, all in the county of Essex.
State House Office
13th Essex—Consisting of the town of Danvers, Precinct 2, of the town of Middleton, Ward 6, of the city of Peabody, Precinct 2, of the town of Topsfield, and Precinct 1A, of the town of Wenham, all in the county of Essex.
State House Office
6th Essex—Consisting of the city of Beverly, and Precinct 1, of the town of Wenham, in the county of Essex.
State House Office
1st Essex—Consisting of Precincts 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the city of Amesbury, the town of Merrimac, the city of Newburyport, the town of Salisbury, all in the county of Essex.
State House Office
19th Suffolk—Consisting of Ward 1 Precincts 1, 2, Ward 2 Precincts 1, 2, 3A, and Ward 5, of the city of Revere, and the town of Winthrop, both in the county of Suffolk.
State House Office
12th Essex—Consisting of Ward 1, Ward 2, Ward 3, Ward 4, and Ward 5, of the city of Peabody, in the county of Essex.
State House Office
9th Essex—Consisting of Ward 1 Precincts 1 and 2, of the city of Lynn, and Precincts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, of the town of Saugus, both in the county of Essex; and Precincts 1, 2, 3, and 7, of the town of Wakefield, in the county of Middlesex.
State House Office
Governor's Council
The Governor's Council provides advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments, pardons and commutations, and warrants for the state treasury. The Massachusetts Governor's Council, also known as the Executive Council, is composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio. The eight councillors are elected from their respective districts every two years. Link
Contact information for the eight councilors is posted on the State Web site. Link
The Fifth District includes Revere and Winthrop.The Sixth District includes Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, and Swampscott.
The Governor’s Council Fifth District includes Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, and Salisbury.
8 Barberry Heights Road
Gloucester, MA 01930
GC: 617-725-4015, ext. 5
Bus: 978-927-8700
Fax: 617-727-6610
Email: eileenduff3@gmail.com
The Governor’s Council Sixth District includes Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Nahant, Saugus, Swampscott, and Winthrop.
3 Stafford Road
Lynnfield, MA 01940
GC: 617-725-4015, ext. 6
Bus: 617-387-9809
Fax: 617-727-6610
Email: twkennedylaw@gmail.com
The Essex County government was dissolved in 1999, but the county and districts remain as administrative regions recognized by various government agencies. Link
District Attorneys
The Office of Essex District Attorney prosecutes criminal offenses from the 34 cities and towns in Essex County and provides services and support to the victims and witnesses of those crimes.
Sheriff's Department
The Sheriff's Departmentis responsible for running and overseeing all aspects of its facilities, which include its administrative office in Middleton; the Essex County Correctional Facility in Middleton; the Correctional Alternative Center in Lawrence; the Women in Transition Center in Salisbury; and three Offices of Community Corrections in Lawrence, Salisbury, and Lynn. Link
The Essex–Southern Registry of Deeds serves Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Marblehead, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus, and Swampscott.
The Suffolk Registry of Deeds serves Revere and Winthrop.