Even as about a third of eligible voters in the region and across the state have already cast their ballots in the presidential election, many more voters are expected to come out to the polls on Tuesday to decide national, state and local races, as well as five statewide ballot questions.

In Easthampton, City Clerk Barbara LaBombard said that 5,245 early votes have come in via a combination of early in-person and mail-in ballots, meaning there is already nearly a 40% turnout of the city’s 13,372 registered voters.

That represents a higher percentage turnout than statewide, where 1.6 million votes have already been cast, representing 31.7% of Massachusetts’ registered voters.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said the pace means the state is on track for record turnout, likely exceeding the almost 3.7 million voters who went to the polls for the last presidential election in 2020.

There was some variance among early and mail-in voting. In Belchertown, there were 5,780 early voters, or 46% of the town’s 12,626 registered voters, but in Northampton, the 8,022 early voters represented 34% of the 23,436 registered voters. South Hadley Town Clerk Sarah B. Gmeiner said 1,317 voters took advantage of early voting over the two weeks, with 4,235 total ballots now cast, or about 32%, of the 13,280 voters in town; while in Holyoke just 4,500 voters have cast their ballots early, according to the city clerk’s office, or 15% of the 29,195 registered voters.

Amherst Town Clerk Susan Audette said her office has already processed 5,079 ballots, so about 35% of the town’s 14,704 voters have already voted, though she notes three full trays of ballots remain unprocessed. If Amherst hits the 75% turnout it achieved in the presidential election four years ago, then more than half of those who are likely to vote haven’t yet done so, Audette said.

“We are expecting a good turnout,” Audette said.

During the 12 days of early in-person voting, 1,627 voters came to the polls, Audette said, meaning the town averaged 135 a day. But 287 voters came out on the final day last Friday.

Mailed ballots that are postmarked by Tuesday and received by local election offices by Friday will still be counted, though Galvin has cautioned that these won’t be tallied immediately.

Presidential race

The main draw for voters is likely the race for president between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump. Other candidates for president on the ballot are Independent Shiva Ayyadurai, Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Claudia De la Cruz, Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver, and Green/Rainbow Party nominee Jill Stein.

For the U.S. Senate, Massachusetts voters will choose between incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Warren and Republican nominee John Deaton.

Ballots in 2nd Congressional District communities, including Northampton, Amherst, Hadley, Hatfield, Chesterfield, Goshen, Pelham, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Deerfield, Leverett, Shutesbury, Sunderland and Whately, will give voters the option of voting for either longtime incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, or Cornelius Shea, an independent candidate from Shrewsbury.

Voters in Easthampton, Belchertown, South Hadley, Granby, Cummington, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, Southampton, Worthington and Ware will help decide the 1st Congressional District race between longtime incumbent Democrat Richard Neal and independent Nadia Milleron of Sheffield.

The only contested race in the region for state representative is in the 4th Hampden District, which includes Southampton and Westfield. There, incumbent state Rep. Kelly Pease, R-Westfield, is seeking reelection against Democrat Bridget Matthews-Kane of Westfield.

The only contested race for state Senate is in the Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire District, where Democrat incumbent Paul Mark of Pittsfield is facing a challenge from Republican David Rosa, a Dighton resident who said he planned to move to the district before Election Day. The district includes Chesterfield, Cummington, Goshen, Huntington, Middlefield, Plainfield, Westhampton, Williamsburg, Worthington and Whately.

For Holyoke voters, Hampden County Register of Deeds Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, a Democrat from Springfield, is being challenged by Bob Collamore, an independent from Springfield.

Ballot questions

Five ballot questions will come before all Massachusetts voters.

BUL The first proposes giving the state auditor the authority to audit the Legislature.

BUL Question 2 proposes eliminating the requirement that a student must pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) test to receive a high school diploma. Instead, students would need to complete coursework certified by their school district that demonstrates mastery of subjects covered in the state’s academic standards.

BUL Question 3 would allow drivers for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to form unions to collectively bargain with their companies regarding wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of work.

BUL Question 4 would allow limited legalization and regulation of certain natural psychoactive substances in the state, allowing them to be grown, possessed and used by those age 21 or older.

BUL Question 5 would gradually increase the minimum hourly wage for tipped workers from $6.75, excluding tips, to $15, excluding tips, over the course of five years. Currently, if a tipped worker’s $6.75 hourly wage plus their tips do not add up to a $15 per hour wage, their employer is required to pay them the difference. This would still be the case through the end of 2028, should the measure pass. The proposed law would permit employers to calculate this difference over the entire weekly or biweekly payroll period.

Where to vote

All polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m on Tuesday.

In-person voting in most area communities will be at one location, with Northampton, Amherst and Holyoke providing multiple voting sites.

Northampton: Ward 1-A and Ward 1-B, Jackson Street School, 120 Jackson St.;Ward 2-A, Ward 2-B and Ward 5-B, Smith Vocational School, 80 Locust St.; Ward 3-A, Ward 3-B, Ward 4-A and Ward 4-B, Senior Center, 67 Conz St.; Ward 5-A, Florence Civic Center, 90 Park St.; Ward 6-A and Ward 6-B, Ryan Road School, 498 Ryan Road; Ward 7-A, JFK Midle School, 100 Bridge Road; Ward 7-B, Leeds School, 20 Florence St.

Amherst: Precinct 1-A, North Amherst Library, 8 Montague Road; Precinct 1-B, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St.; Precincts 2-A, 3-A, 4-A and 4-B, Amherst-Pelham Regional High School, 21 Mattoon St; Precinct 2-B, Fort River School, 70 South East St.; Precinct 3-B, Crocker Farm School, 280 West St.; Precinct 5-A, Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk; and Precinct 5-B, Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St.

Holyoke: Ward 1-A, Rosary Towers, 21 Bowers St; Ward 1-B, City Hall, 536 Dwight St.; Ward 2-A, Morgan School gymnasium, 596 South Bridge St.; Ward 2-B, Falcetti Towers, 475 Maple St.; Ward 3-A and Ward 3-B, Metcalf School, 2019 Northampton St.; Ward 4-A and Ward 4-B, St. Paul’s Church Parish, 485 Appleton St.; Ward 5-A, Lt. Elmer J. McMahon School Gym, 75 Kane Road; Ward 5-B, Maurice A. Donahue School Gym, 210 Whiting Farms Road; Ward 6-A and Ward 6-B, Sullivan School, 400 Jarvis Road; Ward 7-A and Ward 7-B, E.N. White School, 1 Jefferson St.

Belchertown: Belchertown High School, 142 Springfield Road.

Chesterfield: Community Center, 400 Main Road.

Cummington: Community House, 33 Main St.

Deerfield: Town Hall, 8 Conway St.

Easthampton: Easthampton High School, 70 Williston Ave.

Goshen: John James Memorial Hall, 42 Main St.

Granby: Granby Junior Senior High School, 385 East State St.

Hadey: Hadley Senior Center, 46 Middle St.

Hatfield: Memorial Town Hall, 59 Main St.

Huntington: Stanton Hall, 26 Russell Road.

Leverett: Town Hall, 9 Montague Road.

Middlefield: Town Hall, 188 Skyline Trail.

Pelham: Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road.

Plainfield: Town Hall, 348 Main St.

Shutesbury: Town Hall, 1 Cooleyville Road.

South Hadley: South Hadley High School, 153 Newton St.

Southampton: Town Hall, 210 College Highway.

Sunderland: Sunderland Public Library, 20 School St.

Ware: Town Hall, 126 Main St.

Westhampton: Town Hall, 1 South Road.

Whately: Town Hall, 194 Chestnut Plain Road.

Williamsburg: Town Office, 141 Mainm St.

Worthington: Town Hall, 160 Huntington Road.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.