Presidential election polls open Tuesday at Hull High; voters also face five questions

Voters heading to the polls on Tuesday will not only make decisions about candidates for president, vice president, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative, state Legislators, and county officers, but also will face five ballot questions.

Hull voters who have not already cast their ballots by mail or during early voting hours may visit Hull High School between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. to vote in-person on November 5.

The proposals in the five questions range from whether the state Legislature should be audited to whether high school students should have to pass an exam to graduate.

The red Massachusetts Information for Voters booklet was mailed to local households several weeks ago and contains the full text of each question, as well as the effects of voting yes or no. The text of that guide can be found on the town clerk’s page on the town’s website, www.town.hull.ma.us.

Question 1: Auditing the state Legislature. A yes vote on Question 1 would give the state auditor the authority to conduct an audit of the state Legislature. Voting no would make no change.

Question 2: MCAS testing requirement. A yes vote would eliminate the requirement that students pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam to earn a high school diploma. Students would still take the test but the result would not impact their ability to graduate. A no vote on this question would not change the current regulation.

Question 3: Ability for ride-hailing drivers to unionize. Voting yes on this question would provide ride-hailing company drivers the option to form unions to bargain with transportation companies like Uber and Lyft on wages, benefits, and working conditions. A no vote makes no change in the law.

Question 4: Legalization of psychedelics. Yes votes are in favor of allowing Massachusetts residents 21 and older to use natural psychedelic substances and to grow and possess small quantities. Similar to the legalization of marijuana a few years ago, a commission would be created to regulate the substances. A no vote would make no change in the law regarding natural psychedelic substances.

Question 5: Increase minimum wage for tipped workers. A yes vote on this proposal would increase the minimum hourly wage for tipped workers to the full state minimum wage, phased in over a five-year period. Employers could  then pool all tips and distribute them to all non-management workers, such as cooks and back-of-the-house workers. A no vote would make no change to the current setup.

For full election and voter information, including a sample ballot, visit www.town.hull.ma.us/town-clerk.

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