By Barbara Taormina—For the North Star Reporter
Traffic crawled through the parking lot at North Attleborough High School early Tuesday afternoon, as a steady stream of voters made their way into a crowded gym to vote.
Robin Tucker seemed to sum up a consensus among voters and their expectations.
“I just want change,” she said. “I don’t like what’s going on in Massachusetts. A lot of people can’t afford to live here. I want change. I want to stay here. Why have all these people gone out of business?”
For Debbie Walton, a North Attleborough native with deep roots in town, voting is a civic duty.
“Women died for the right to vote,” she said.
For Walton, Question 9, which asks voters about changing and updating gun laws, was an issue of concern.
“The firearms law needs to stay where it is,” she said adding ghost guns were a major worry.
Walton had more to say about Question 8, which would end the legal sale of recreational marijuana.
“Let’s not go back,” she said. “The discussions about this question didn’t touch on the financial aspect of the issue. There are hundreds of small businesses involved. People need to look at the whole pie. All the money in taxes from marijuana sales goes back to the state.”
She also said that when it comes to marijuana from legal dispensaries, consumers can learn where and how it was grown, offering some peace of mind.
But the race between Gov. Maura Healey and businessman Mike Minogue was Walton’s biggest concern.
“Healey it is,” she said with conviction. “I am very pro-choice. Í know what limiting reproductive rights can do. What year is this? What century is it? Let’s not go back. Healey is not risking my grandchild’s future.”
Like Walton, John Dromsky had strong feelings about the race for the governor’s seat, but his vote went to Minogue.
“I don’t like Healey,” he said. “I’m a Truman Democrat from back when the Democratic Party stood for something.”
Dromsky said he has not been happy with Healey’s positions or promises. He also felt Question 3, which would replace Democratic and Republican primary elections with a single all-party primary, was a seriously flawed idea.
“I don’t want jungle (nonpartisan) primaries here,” he said. “I think it could cause a lot of mischief.”
Dromsky, who described himself as a former “troublemaker” in town politics, voted to end the sale of recreational marijuana.
“This is not marijuana from the 60s,” he said. “The stuff today is much stronger. It’s well-known it affects the development of young people.”
But other voters seemed to agree with Tom Scofield, who said Massachusetts laws on marijuana sales are strict enough to leave as they are.
“There’s no reefer madness in Massachusetts,” he said adding the revenue from cannabis sales is a valid consideration.
Scofield felt the same about changing firearm laws.
“I don’t want any new rules on guns,” he said. “It’s about liberty and all that good stuff.”
As for the governor, Scofield said Healey seems to be fine.
“We’ll stick with her,” he said.
Question 7, which would allow single-family homes to be built on lots with just 5,000 square feet, seemed to be a common concern with voters.
Ra Jeffrey acknowledged Massachusetts has a housing shortage, but said a dramatic zoning change is not the solution. Jeffrey said there is plenty of space in the middle of the state that could accommodate housing. He feels investing in public transportation, more roads and commuter rail could solve the housing crunch.
Jeffrey was also focused on Question 9 because he thought more regulations on guns was a good idea. However, he added he had concerns about where changes on the laws may lead.
“It’s a little worrying because Massachusetts already has strict laws,” he said.
Like other voters, Jackie Mallard doesn’t even consider passing on the opportunity to vote. But she said this year has been difficult because of all the stress with work and the cost of keeping things going day-to-day. Although she said she is very political, this year she hardly had time to learn about the different issues on the ballot.
“I voted Democratic because that’s what I feel safe with,” she said.