Overview of the November 8th Ballot Issues

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November 7, 2022
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Avi Shapira
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The 2022 Massachusetts election will be held Tuesday, November 8. If you or anyone you know is eligible to vote but are unsure what all the questions on the ballot mean, this article is here to help.

What issues are on the ballot?

Overview: Massachusetts elections, 2022 – Ballotpedia

R – Republican

D – Democrat

L – Libertarian

Incumbent – the person currently holding an office who is running in order to serve another term

US House of Representatives

Andover residents are in either district 3 or district 6 of Massachusetts congressional districts. You can use this: Find your congressional district, major candidates on ballot for 2022 – Washington Post to find which district you are in by entering your address.

District 3: Lori Trahan (D, incumbent), Dean Tran (R)

District 6: Seth Moulton (D, incumbent), Robert May Jr. (R)

MA Governor

Candidates: Maura Healey (D), Geoff Diehl (R), Kevin Reed (L)

Lieutenant Governor

The lieutenant governor takes over for the governor in case they become unable to serve as governor before their term ends. The lieutenant governor is also part of the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, which provides advice to the governor and approves things such as judicial nominations.

Candidates: Kim Driscoll (D), Leah Cole Allen (R), Peter Everett (L)

Attorney General

The attorney general is the executive officer of Massachusetts. This individual is the chief law enforcement officer and lawyer, and runs the five departments of the attorney general’s office: executive, business/labor protection, government, and public protection.

Candidates: Andrea Campbell (D), James McMahon (R)

Secretary of State

The secretary of state is the head public information official of Massachusetts. They oversee historical preservation, historical records, public records, and the registry of deeds (where records of land and real estate deals are housed). They also head elections.

Candidates: William Galvin (D, incumbent), Rayla Campbell (R), Juan Sanchez (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts — MA branch of the Green Party)

Treasurer

The treasurer invests the state’s funds and maintains the state’s budget.

Candidates: Deb Goldberg (D, incumbent), Cristina Crawford (R)

Auditor

The auditor does financial, performance, and technical audits of various state departments or other programs that are publicly funded. To audit means to look into the performance of these groups and how they spend their money. They make sure goals are being achieved and money is used responsibly.

Candidates: Diana DiZoglio (D), Anthony Amore (R), Gloria Caballero-Roca (GR), Daniel Riek (L), Dominic Giannone III (Workers Party)

Governor’s Council

The governor’s council advises the governor and approves things like judicial appointments. Each Massachusetts district gets a governor’s council. In districts 3 and 6, the districts Andover is in, there is only one candidate running for the governor’s council.

District 3 candidate: Marilyn Petitto Devaney (D)

District 6 candidate: Terrence Kennedy (D)

State Senate

Andover is in the Second Essex and Middlesex Massachusetts Senate districts.

Candidates: Barry Finegold (D, incumbent), Sal DeFranco (R)

State Legislature Representative

Andover is either in the 17th Essex district or the 18th Essex district. Find where you are using Find My Legislator (malegislature.gov).

17th Essex: Frank Moran (D, incumbent)

18th Essex: Tram Nguyen (D, incumbent), Jeffrey Dufour (R)

There are also races for Essex County Sheriff and District Attorney, but candidates in both are running unopposed.

Ballot Measures

More information:

Massachusetts Ballot Questions 2022, Explained – NBC Boston

Voters’ Guide to 2022 Massachusetts Ballot Questions | The Center for State Policy Analysis (cSPA) (tufts.edu)

Massachusetts 2022 ballot measures – Ballotpedia (click on the specific ballot measure)

Question #1

If this question is approved, Massachusetts taxes will be raised 4% on people who make more than $1 million a year. This money will be used to fund education, infrastructure, and public transportation.

This ballot is supported by Raise Up Massachusetts, “a coalition of labor unions, community organizations and religious groups.” You can learn more about them at raiseupma.com. This ballot is opposed by businesses and trade groups.

More resources:

Business, trade groups say popular ‘millionaires tax’ undercuts middle class – Boston Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

MA Ballot Question 1: What to know about the proposed millionaires tax (boston.com)

Question #2

If this question is approved, dental insurance companies would have to spend at least 83% of premiums on patient care or provide refunds. Premiums are the money you pay for a specific doctor visit or operation in addition to what insurance covers. Currently, there is no threshold to what percent of premiums insurance companies have to spend on patient care. Companies that have been spending less than 83% of premiums on patient care will have to issue refunds.

This ballot measure is spearheaded by Dr. Mouhab Rizkallah, an orthodontist, and is supported by other dentists. It is opposed by the nonprofit Delta Dental and some insurance companies.

More information:

Massachusetts Ballot Question 2: What you need to know about proposed changes for dental insurance (wgbh.org)

What to know about Question 2, which would require dental insurers to spend a minimum rate on patient care | WBUR News

Question #3

If question 3 is approved, the number of licenses to sell alcohol a single company or individual can hold will increase from 12 to 18. Currently, a chain that has 30 locations can sell alcohol in 12, but if this passes they will be allowed to sell alcohol in 18, so this law will mostly affect larger chains. It will also make it illegal to buy alcohol using self-checkout. This question has many more complex sections, so you are encouraged to read one of the additional articles to completely understand it.

Most of the supporters are alcohol stores, led by the 21st Century Alcohol Retail Reform Committee. Food Stores for Consumer Choice, which includes various stores, opposes the measure.

More information:

MA Ballot Question 3: What you need to know about alcohol license limits (boston.com)

cSPA_alcohol_sales_at_chain_stores.pdf (tufts.edu)

Question #4

This measure will allow undocumented immigrants to get driver’s licenses, if approved. Its purpose is to make driving safer by making sure undocumented immigrants have insurance and have passed a driver’s test. The law was recently passed, but if the ballot measure is not approved the law will be repealed.

This measure is supported by public servants in the police and transportation services. It is mostly opposed by the Massachusetts Republican party.

More information:

Massachusetts Ballot Question 4: What you need to know about driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants (wgbh.org)

Question 4 Massachusetts 2022: Should New Driver’s License Law Be Repealed? – NBC Boston

How can I vote in Andover?

Voter Registration

The deadline to register has already passed.

Mail-in ballots

Mail-in voting is available to all voters. You must request a mail-in ballot in person by November 1, or have your mail request received by then. You must return your ballot in person or have it received by mail by November 8.

Early Voting

Early voting is available to all voters and will take place from October 22 to November 4. Visit here for a list of hours and the location: Andover In-Person Early Voting Is Underway | Andover, MA Patch.

Election Day

Andover polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Precincts 1 and 3 will vote at the Youth Center on Whittier Court.
Precincts 4, 4A, 5, and 6 will vote at the Wood Hill Middle School.
Precincts 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10 will vote at the Andover High School Richard J. Collins Field House on Shawsheen Road.

You can find your precinct at: My Election Info: Search (state.ma.us)

More information: Elections | Andover, MA (andoverma.gov)

Andoverview

AHS Class of 2026 Graduation: A Sentiment of Gratitude

June 11, 2026

Abby Chachus & Kendall Murphy || STAFF WRITERS

A hush falls as a sea of navy gowns, a rising tide of Andover High School graduates enters the Tsongas Center just before 5 o’clock on June 1, 2026. There is something distinct about moments like these. A goodbye that is bittersweet among both the audience and the seniors.

According to Graduation Committee member Ella Murphy, it is a goodbye to “Halloween costume competitions that never disappoint, lunches, wrap lines and vending machine trips,” seemingly inconsequential things, but the memories will stick with all of the students as they move on to their future endeavors.

The graduation speakers shared the value of these moments and their gratitude for the people that helped them along the way. As the ceremony commenced, the opening speakers Zachery Pan and Murphy welcomed everyone and encouraged them to acknowledge their shared experiences at Andover High School. “These moments, these memories, these faces. None of us got here alone.” said Pan.

Their speech gave time to deliver some truly meaningful thank you’s, “beyond the formalities” as Murphy put it, to the teachers and staff that showed up each day with “patience, support, and dedication.” Furthermore, they recognized that this gratitude is not solely meant for the significant ceremonies.

“Gratitude is kind of strange. We tend to save it for the big moments. The ceremonies, the stages, the audiences,” said Murphy.

“But let’s be honest—the people who actually changed your life probably weren’t standing on a stage when they did it,” continued Pan.

They concluded the speech with a request to the graduates to thank those who changed their lives in both the big and small moments, even if it feels unnecessary.

Before graduation, other seniors expressed similar thoughts, like reflecting on the journey that got them to where they are today.

“To all my teachers: thank you for everything. I would not be here without any single one of you.” said Christopher Reardon.

Thomas Enman advised underclassmen to “just enjoy every little minute you get at AHS.”

Vignesha Jayakumar, class essayist and valedictorian, echoed this same sentiment of appreciation, reinforcing Reardon’s message about the lasting impact of teachers and support systems. “We were galvanized from a community of supportive teachers and staff who didn’t just teach us subjects, they taught us how to think, how to question, how to care,” said Jayakumar.

He also mentioned the importance of one learning from their fellow graduates. “We learned as much from each other in the hallways and the bleachers as we did in the classroom,” he said.

After Jayakumar, Graduation Committee members Ben Pelt and Kari Belson spoke. First, Pelt announced the Class of 2026’s class gift to AHS. Next, Belson named Scott Armstrong the 2026 Distinguished Citizen (see page 4).

When Principal Jimmy D’Andrea took the stage, he, like all the other speakers, expressed the value of gratitude, a central theme that resonated throughout the ceremony. He began by thanking each group that got each member of the graduating class to where they were standing in the Tsongas Center, about to leave the comfort of being an AHS student and moving onto becoming alumni, highlighting the strong support system and sense of community that defined the graduating class’s journey.

He also encouraged each graduate to “personally reach out and thank those individuals who made a difference in [their] lives,” reinforcing the ceremony’s message of appreciation, reflection, and recognition for the people who helped shape their high school experience.

Interim Superintendent Keith Taverna encouraged graduates to continue to make the community proud with the positive impact they will bring to the world.

To conclude the ceremony, Graduation Committee members Chloe Ahn and Margaret Farabaugh brought everyone together one last time. “Tonight we stand together because of the strong and spirited community we have built,” said Ahn.

Ahn concluded, “As we become graduates of Andover High School, we step into the world with purpose, passion, and pride… Congratulations class of 2026!”

Students, Faculty Travel to Scandinavia Over Spring Break

June 11, 2026

Samin Faiz || STAFF WRITER

Forty-two Andover High School students and seven chaperones visited Scandinavia this April.

After a six-hour flight from Boston to Reykjavík, Iceland, followed by a two-hour flight to Oslo, Norway, the group began their ten-day-long tour the Thursday before spring break. Through a combination of bus rides, overnight ferries, and countless miles on foot, the group made their way through five Northern European countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

“I’ve been traveling with students since 2005, so this might be my 17th tour,” said Brian Shea, English teacher, organizer, and chaperone of the trip. “We’ve now done all of Europe, so Northern Europe was sort of our last frontier.”

Apart from the chaperones, the group was accompanied by a tour director named Yulia, whom Shea worked closely with to structure the daily itinerary and ensure a smooth trip.

In Scandinavia, English is widely spoken, so the language barrier was never a problem for the group. Sometimes, however, the students made connections in ways that transcend the spoken word.

“I played soccer with a bunch of people in Sweden,” recalled Hannah Arnold, a junior who participated in the trip. “That was probably the highlight of the trip for me.”

Arnold is no stranger to international travel. Just two months earlier, in fact, she joined her classmates on another school trip to Peru over winter break. However, for her twin sister, Grace Arnold, this was a brand-new experience.

“I met a lot of new people that I’ve never met before, especially people not in my grade,” Grace said. “It was really nice because I met a lot of great people through that and got to spend time with people I wouldn’t usually get to spend time with.”

The trip offered a flexible balance of group tours and independent exploration. “We had a lot of free time,” Grace noted. “We got to explore cities on our own and shop where we wanted. As long as you stayed in groups of three or more, you were free to roam the city.”

Students observed the region’s distinct economic models. Through agreements within the European Union and the Nordic Council, higher education is heavily subsidized or entirely free for regional citizens.

“It’s really interesting. They tax wealthier people a lot more and their overall tax rates are a lot higher,” one student observed. “The way they reinvest money back into infrastructure contributes to stronger public infrastructure. Education and health care are free, and they even offer stipends to cover the cost of living. Essentially, you pay a lot of taxes, but you get a lot in return.”

Students also noticed the societal impact of these safety nets. “Their unhoused population is significantly lower. If you want help, those systems are available to support you.”

The travelers’ curiosity and maturity left a strong impression on the faculty.

“These kids were wonderful,” said Shea. “All of the students were engaged. They were paying attention. They were enjoying it. They were wonderful travelers. To me, that was the biggest thrill.”

With the preparations for next year’s destinations already underway, the future of travel programs at AHS seems to be brimming with opportunities.

“Next year, we have two tours,” said Shea. “We’re running one tour to Barcelona and Madrid in February, and then we’re running another tour to Greece in April.”

Such opportunities are often highly selective at other schools, but luckily, these trips remain open to the entire student body at AHS.

“There’s no application process,” Shea emphasized. “We’re not looking at grades. We’re not looking at behavioral records. Anybody can sign up when we offer these tours. I put them out there, and I’m like, ‘If you want to go, come.’”

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Overview of the November 8th Ballot Issues

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