001[Music] hi it's just after 6:00 on Election Day we're at the Ashlin high school gymnasium we're with the Ashlin town clerk Cindy Livingstone Cindy busy day it has been very busy today yes it has your day started at what time this morning well I got up at 3:30 I was in my office at 5: um at the school about 5:30 and here we are and you'll be here at least until 10:00 tonight you know yes if you're lucky yeah I'm I'm hoping 10 but 11 the lines have been steady all day all day pole workers have been amazing have been amazing kudos to the pole workers we can't do an election without the pole workers nope uh so talk to me about the day so you opened up the doors at 7:00 this morning uh
002we had a line down here and then down the hallway and then out the back door at 7:00 a.m. this morning um we got through that pretty good um by 7:30 we already had close to 300 voters in a half hour it was crazy but we did it and these guys I can't give them enough Kudos yeah they great um but it has been steady all day we've had a lunch rush an afterwork Rush we're waiting for the last minute rush that's you know between 7: and 8 uh but we've already had close to 10,000 vote out of our 12,960 voters so you already had 75% so you're you're predicting more than 80% so let's talk about that so now you have mailin voting we have early voting yes so are those votes counted already
003the mailin votings and the early vo I have um 5,556 ballots already through machines that I'll run the numbers for at 8:00 tonight and then everything else will go through today and that that was the mail in votes mail in and in person V so as somebody is watching this right now it's just after 6:00 they have until 8:00 tonight to put something in the drop box tonight that's correct the drop box will be closed at exactly 8:00 um it it's not going to be 8:01 we have to close it at 8 um poll's closed at 8:00 you have to be here and in line by 8:00 if you're in line if you're in line you're going to vote you're going to vote no matter what yes correct and that's important so mail and voting
004kind of exploded this year early voting's been kind of growing over the years what are your thoughts I mean how's it work to the town of Bach this year um I have mixed views on it so it it definitely it helps my traffic on Election Day because we've already had like I said over 5,000 um already deposited into the machines but it's a lot of work getting to that point I have not had a day off since October 11 whatever that's not right so um but I mean we do it this is what we do and to see all the people here coming it's it's I love it it's it's why I do it um I wish every election could be this busy but I mean I think the media hasn't pivoted fast enough now
005with early voting and mail and voting because now you see profiles on candidates or you know you see debates they're happing after people have already voted and it's like okay like there there needs to be an adjustment to the next election cycle I mean our first ballots mailed out October 2nd that's the day that we got them from the state and we mailed them out that day and like you said how many debates and things happened after that but yeah yeah so I mean that needs we don't have election day anymore no it's basically an election month yeah uh and overall with all that I mean so you think we're going to hit over 80% today what is the record of all time in Ashland you know I'm not prepared for that question prar I
006believe it's about 85% 2020 I think we did 84% and that was one of the highest I mean you're never going to get to 100 but wouldn't be great if you know like one time we could get the 90 and stuff so tell us about the PO workers let's let's give them their do we are so staff today um I I put extras on everywhere um they everybody's been very nice very I get so many compliments from people that have come in and voted letting me know how great these people are and um most of mine at least half are volunteers they just come here and they do it because they love it they love democracy and it's a long day for it's a very long day they most of them get here at 6:00
007a.m. and they could be here until 10 or 11:00 tonight um but I I couldn't do it without them they've been in my office helping me sort ballots and count and it's they're awesome so just so the town knows um there's you you're the town clerk you have Chris who is your assistant town clerk Deputy Town Clerk and then you have one other person working in I have Jean who's part-time over there and then um for just the election season I hired CJ Brown who I couldn't have done it without him I mean he just he was my vote by mail guy he was getting those ballots out as fast as applications are coming in um you've had po Watchers today now no no issues throughout the day or anything no none no so we're
008very lucky to have you in the town of asland to be our town clerk I mean you you run a great election any closing thoughts before we get you back to work no just if you're going to vote hurry up we want to go home and please get out and voted you don't vote you can't complain you can't complain true yes don't forget town meeting November 19th November 19th meeting today keep up the great work thank you very much I appreciate you guys thank you have a great night you too happy so we're out in front of the Ashlin polls uh Congressman Jim mcgurn great to see you happy to be with you thank you for taking a couple minutes to talk to us talk to us about why election day is so important I
009because this is what our you know epitomizes our democracy uh and this is what when people have a chance to you know to actually through their vote tell us the direction they want uh come wealth to move in and our state to move in and our and our country to move in and uh so uh you know I talked to Senate President spil about this you know you listen to the media and you think the world is divided and the country is divided but I mean today we've been outside the polls and it's been good-spirited you know uh different sides have been getting along what do you see what do you feel no look at I think people are basically good um I think there are there there are individuals who try to influence our
010politics you know who do so in a way that is really not uh uh living up to the goodness of the American people and you know I I think this is the most one of the most consequential elections if not the most consequential election of my lifetime uh and I will be honest with you I'm really enthusiastic about kamla Harris and Tim Walls Tim's a good friend of mine I served in congress with him and I'm frighten to death of Donald Trump uh I I've never witnessed in my lifetime a more vulgar and offensive campaign if if you or I said a tenth of what he says would be canceled um and look I want a president you know who's going to bring some joy to our politics and I Want a President Who will
011appeal to the better angels of our nature and um and I want I want all of us to do that I want I I want I want politics to be uh respected and I want it to be a source uh for doing good and so that's that's what's at stake in this election so what are going to be your priorities you wake up tomorrow morning U you know and you get back to work what are the priorities of you and well look I mean the priorities are about how do you help strengthen our middle class I mean we're going to have to deal with some tax reform in the next Congress I care deeply about the environment and and combating climate change I change um obviously I care deeply about the investing in our infrastructure
012we passed the biggest uh investment in infrastructure since the creation of the interstate highway system when uh when Democrats control the house and President Biden was President um and there are more more that I have we have to do in that area I also believe that we ought to protect rights a women's right to choose uh we got to protect re women's reproductive Freedom the rights of the LBGTQ plus Community uh the rights of everybody um you know the the beauty of this country is our diversity and we got to celebrate that and I worry that sometimes our politics has become about you know dividing People based on who they are and what they believe so we can do better and uh we I I I hope we can turn the page uh in this
013election there's a lot that we to do and part of the responsibility of those of us in office is not just to complain about things or point fingers but to come up with Solutions and Achieve results that's what representative Lewis is about and Senator spilker and that's what I'm about too right uh only because it happened you you you were a congressman When Donald Trump who you just stated you you you don't care for what if he wins the presidency how does that change your job in Congress you it makes it more difficult I mean because he and and I don't share the same values right um and you know I don't think Millionaires and billionaires and big corporations need any more tax breaks he does I actually care deeply about the environment and climate
014change I think it's real um here we are in uh an election day and it's it's like it's like 70 degrees yeah um and we're in Massachusetts uh so we differ on that um I also believe we ought to be lowering prescription drug prices and not giving more benefits to the pharmaceutical industry and believe in protecting people's rights I mean women's right to choose protecting women's reproductive freedoms protecting the rights of the lgbtq plus Community um and I believe we need to fix our immigration system and not just point fingers I mean you know the one thing we all know is we we can do better we can and we ought to find Common Ground we almost did uh but Trump killed that deal uh but I hope we come back and and and our
015politics will be such that we can find Common Ground it'll be more difficult if he's president he's already said that he's going to have an enemies list he wants to be a dictator on day one um K Harris will have a to-do list um and I wanted to do list I want to know what we need to do to make Ashland better to make Massachusetts better to make our country better to make the world better uh and so that's where I hope we can focus and that's why I hope he doesn't win and she does we're outside the Ashlin polls with Senate President Karen spila Senator uh Happy election day thank you happy Election Day to you too you're on the ballot again uh I am so what this will be what you're if successful
016today uh it'll be what term number um I'd have to since I've been a senator since 2005 2005 so so 19 years 19 almost 20 years right right great yeah and quite you're the Senate President so a lot has changed since you know when you I remember first meeting you on the ashon school committee now you're the my words the most powerful person in the in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts talk to me why election day is important well I think election day is so important because as we all know uh we are a democracy and every person's vote is their voice and their voice means a lot particularly in the United States of America because we are a democracy it sounds sort of circular but it's true and their vot their vote is their voice
017which tells uh people how they want the country to go how they want the state to go how they want the city and town the direction um and and they have to realize that how important it is for people to hear their voice uh and that is you know so important to me to know where people stand and it's not just Election Day election day is important but it's important for people to let uh folks know what's important to them what their issues are what are their concerns what are their what things are are going well but what things are not going so well it's really important that it helps set for me the agenda for the Senate you know what are the important issues facing my district whether it be housing Transportation uh getting
018debt-free college or being able to afford and go to some sort of college uh child care that is one of the most expensive in Massachusetts it's because of listening to so many people that I've focused on reform it and lowering the cost of child care making it more accessible for young families which allows them to send their children but it also frees up their parents to go back to work if they want to go back to work which we know so many people were out of work particularly after covid so we need to take advantage of people if they want to go back to work so all of those issues you know I hear on a day-to-day basis by by listening to the people of my district you know I think you brought up a
019good point and it be it's okay if you don't disagree I mean you and I have known each other for probably 25 years fair to say that we probably don't agree on everything but you and I can talk to each other we can work stuff out we can kind of go like this but at the end of the day we can still Shake our hands and you'll take my phone call and I'll certainly take your phone call you know you hear about so much discourse in the United States do you do you see it or is it a lot of it media driven and if you do see it how do we fix it I think it's both I think it does exist I do think it exists more on a national level than a
020state level um and that is really sad to me uh and you're right people should be able to disagree I you know whether you're Democrat Republican I mean even amongst the Democrats in in my caucus in the Senate we surely don't always agree and sometimes it's pretty vehement disagreement and so same thing with Republicans there are times that you know I I sit down with the Republicans in in in the Senate and talk about what their issues are and what they're you know they feel they want to get done and we work together and you're right when we disagree we disagree but move on because there's so many so many more areas and issues that we agree upon so and we're all here for the same thing to make uh and improve the quality of
021life for the residents of Massachusetts and and make Massachusetts an even stronger more affordable more competitive more Equitable State talk real quick cuz I think it's wonderful the Community College stuff that you pushed through and got done talk about how that's going to benefit everybody in Massachusetts okay um well for decades enrollment in Community College was declining enrollment in our state universities and um Mass was declining by making Community College universally free just since September just since September it's now November Community College enrollment has gone up 14% wow 14% that is amazing for the first time so many students so many people who live in the Commonwealth who never thought that any sort of public high any higher ed was possible whether they had to work they couldn't afford it they didn't think they were
022capable whatever and so they just didn't even try suddenly that door is open so their dreams in fact um I remember talking to Jose from LEL had been a brick mason for 14 years he's now going to uh middle sex Community College to get a degree in uh Health Sciences life sciences and he has a job waiting for him good salary living wage and his 14-year-old daughter he said he she said I can see she's just so proud of her papa and for the first time she is thinking of going to college so it's an intergenerational thing so it will help these these families who are now struggling to get a get an education fill some of the workplace gaps and Health Care education um and so many other areas that we have in Mass
023Massachusetts we need workers and so their families will be better off and then the next generation's families will also be better off always been on the same page with this special needs in the Mental Health crisis what's the state working on now cuz you know as I've T to you my biggest concerns coming out of Co is even like kids that go to school here they were the most impacted people by the co crisis you know uh what's the state working on now to uh kind of combat the Mental Health crisis well a lot of things um I I hope you know that um you know I helped push through Advocate and push through the M most major mental health Reform Bill two two years ago uh propelling Massachusetts to be first in the nation
024but we also have a new program where we are opening up outpatient clinics in various areas across the state and there are some in Metro West so that people can go to get outpatient help um you know when a lot of people put you know local priority money I have put money towards my schools to be able to get more funding for for mental health behavioral health in whatever way they feel it's necessary but when uh we had arper dollars for example knowing that schools and other places were having a hard time finding social workers counselors behavioral counselors I put $400 million towards uh tuition and loan repayment for people who went into these mental health behavioral health and promised to come out and work in public service mental and Behavioral Health so hopefully we
025will be seeing and I've been talking in increase in the number of people going into these fields and uh I've been talking to some of the local uh colleges and and universities across the state about providing more programs so that people we have more people going into all the more reason why we need access to education in the state Senate President Karen spilka always a pleasure great to see you here at the polls today thank you thank you