Election Day in Salem

By Ryan Mooney, Town Correspondent

Election Day is upon the Witch City, and residents can cast their votes in the national and local elections at their designated polling centers from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

Salem has nine polling centers for its seven wards and 14 precincts. To find out where to vote, click here and enter your residence information, or view a list of all of Salem's polling centers on the city's official website.

The state Senate race for the Second Essex District, which all of Salem falls into, pits Democratic challenger Joan Lovely, president of the Salem City Council, against Republican Richard Jolitz, of Beverly, to replace longtime Senator Fred Berry (D-Peabody) who has represented the district since 1983.

In the race for state representative, Democratic incumbent John Keenan, of Salem is seeking re-election uncontested.

A sample ballot with information on each candidate and their positions on certain issues is available here.

Voters will also decide on a Governor's Councilor between Maura Ciardiello (R-Haverhill) and Eileen Duff (D-Gloucester) to fill the Fifth Essex District seat currently held by Mary-Ellen Manning, and will have a say on three statewide questions:

Question 1. The Right to Repair Initiative - If passed, motor vehicle manufacturers would be required to allow vehicle owners and independent repair facilities in Massachusetts to have access to the same vehicle diagnostic and repair information made available to the manufacturers' Massachusetts dealers and authorized repair facilities.

Question 2. The Death with Dignity Initiative - If passed, physicians licensed in Massachusetts to prescribe medication, at the request of a terminally-ill patient meeting certain conditions, to end that person's life.

Question 3. The Medical Marijuana Initiative - If passed, state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana will be eliminated, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-regulated centers or, in specific hardship cases, to grow marijuana for their own use.

Ryan Mooney can be reached at globe.mooney@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @mooney_ryan.