Massachusetts elections, 2012

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The state of Massachusetts held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:

• Signature filing deadline: June 5, 2012 & July 4, 2012 (Measures only)
• Primary date: September 6, 2012
• General election date: November 6, 2012

On the 2012 ballot			Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results
U.S. Senate (1 seat)	a	Preview Article
U.S. House (9 seats)	a
State Executives	d	N/A
State Senate (40 seats)	a	Preview Article
State House (160 seats)	a
Ballot measures (3 measures)	a	-

2012 Elections

Note: Election information listed on this page does not pertain to 2012 presidential elections. For more about Ballotpedia's areas of coverage, click here.
For election results in the 50 states, see our November 6, 2012 election results page

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate elections in Massachusetts, 2012

U.S. Senate, Massachusetts General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Elizabeth Warren	53.3%	1,696,346
	Republican	Scott Brown Incumbent	45.8%	1,458,048
	N/A	All Others	0.1%	2,159
	N/A	Blank Votes	0.9%	27,643
Total Votes				3,184,196
Source: Massachusetts Secretary of State "Return of Votes"

U.S. House

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Massachusetts, 2012

Massachusetts lost a U.S. House seat from redistricting.

Members of the U.S. House from Massachusetts -- Partisan Breakdown
Party		As of November 2012	After the 2012 Election
	Democratic Party	10	9
	Republican Party	0	0
Total		10	9

State Senate

See also: Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2012

Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state senate.

Massachusetts State Senate
Party		As of November 5, 2012	After the 2012 Election
	Democratic Party	35	36
	Republican Party	4	4
	Vacancy	1	0
Total		40	40

State House

See also: Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2012

Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state house.

Massachusetts House of Representatives
Party		As of November 5, 2012	After the 2012 Election
	Democratic Party	127	131
	Republican Party	33	29
Total		160	160

Ballot measures

See also: Massachusetts 2012 ballot measures

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
IndISS	Question 1	Business	Deals with vehicle owner and business protections in the state.	a
IndISS	Question 2	Assisted death	Would establish an "Act Relative to Death with Dignity."	d
IndISS	Question 3	Marijuana	Would allow for the use of medical marijuana in the state.	a

Recalls

See also: Political recall efforts and Recall campaigns in Massachusetts

Bridgewater

In Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a long-delayed recall election was held to determine whether town councilors Mike Demos and Peter Riordan could keep their seats. The Bridgewater recall was originally initiated in October 2011, but conflicting interpretations of the town's charter resulted in a series of legal challenges that delayed the recall process. Although sufficient signatures were certified in February 2012, the town refused to schedule a recall election. In August 2012, Judge Robert C. Cosgrove ruled that the town was required to schedule a recall election.

Massachusetts recall action in 2012

• The Bridgewater recall was the second recall election in Massachusetts in 2012. On February 6, two members of the Templeton Board of Selectmen, Julie Farrell and Robert Mitchell, were successfully recalled from office.

• A recall effort against Will Flanagan, mayor of Fall River, came to a halt in February after the city repeatedly rejected the recall affidavit.

• In August, a recall effort against Donald Cykowski, a city councilman from Easthampton, narrowly missed making the ballot. Recall organizers gathered 2,218 signatures, which was 17 signatures shy of forcing a recall election.

Eligibility to Vote

Primary election

See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections

Massachusetts was one of 21 states to use a strictly closed primary system. Voters were required to register to vote in the primary by August 17, 2012, which was 20 days before the primary took place. Registered Democrats and Republicans could only vote for their own party in the primary, but independent voters were allowed to decide which party they would like to vote for. (Information about registering to vote)

General election

See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections

The deadline to register to vote was 20 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 17.

• Voter ID info
• Residency requirements: Resident
• Same-day registration: None

Voting absentee

See also: Absentee Voting

Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.

Voting early

See also: Early voting

Massachusetts voters can vote early in general elections. Early voting begins 11 business days prior to the election and ends two business days before Election Day.

See also

• Statewide elections, 2012
• 2012 election dates
• Election result resources
• Voter guides
• State Blue Books
• State Poll Opening and Closing Times (2012)
• Voting in Massachusetts
• Absentee voting
• Early voting