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Investigation opens into Boston’s administration of Nov. 5 election
"The City did not originally deliver an appropriate supply of ballots to precincts in Boston, did not have adequate communication channels with the polling places, and had no plan to deliver additional ballots as needed."
Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin opened an investigation Wednesday into the City of Boston’s administration of the Nov. 5 election.
In a letter to Boston Election Commissioner Eneida Tavares, Galvin said the investigation will look into the “practices and procedures of the Boston Elections Department leading up to and including the State Election held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and any other matter relating thereto.”
In the letter, Galvin noted “significant problems” with the city’s administration of Tuesday’s election.
“This Office has concluded, and Boston Election Officials have confirmed, that numerous polling locations throughout the City of Boston were not provided with a sufficient number of ballots for the election on Tuesday,” the letter says. “This is despite the fact that 766,200 ballots had been printed by this Office and delivered to the City of Boston.”
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Police cruisers rushed to deliver more ballots to precincts in Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury that were low or ran out of ballots, Boston.com reported Tuesday. Despite long lines, in part from the delay in ballots, polls still closed at 8 p.m.
Galvin said he sent a reminder to all election officials on Monday, regarding the “delivery of sufficient ballot quantities to each polling place, as well as specific instructions for local election officials to maintain contact with poll workers to monitor ballot quantities.”
“You should be sending as many official ballots as you have to each polling place,” Galvin’s memo concerning ballots sent out Monday read. “When sending official ballots to the polling place, be sure to include a sheet with how many ballots are being sent so that the poll workers can confirm receipt on Election Day.”
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However, voters and election officials reported that polling places were without ballots, according to Galvin’s letter, and they indicated they were unable to contact the Boston Election Commission.
“This indicates that the City did not originally deliver an appropriate supply of ballots to precincts in Boston, did not have adequate communication channels with the polling places, and had no plan to deliver additional ballots as needed, and in a timely manner,” the letter says.
Galvin called the delay in ballots “unacceptable” and “contravenes the most fundamental principles of our democratic process.”
“Although it appears that these locations ultimately received ballots, voters were subjected to unreasonable and unnecessary delays in exercising their franchise,” he said.
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