“A Day in the Life” is a series where we’ll profile a variety of residents to get an intimate glimpse into their day-to-day. These are your neighbors. Get to know them.
Happy election day folks! Today is the day that you as a Boston voter make history by electing our first new mayor since 1993. Many Bostonians only remember a city under the reign of the iconic Mayor Menino. But after today, that will change. In 24 hours Bostonians will know whether State Representative Marty Walsh or City Councilor John Connolly will be assuming the mayorship in 2014.
But what is this big day like for those who live and breathe the political sphere here in Boston? To find out, we spoke with David Paleologos, director of Suffolk University Political Research Center.
Paleologos’ works in partnership with WHDH/7News (NBC-TV Boston) conducting statewide polls. And his extensive knowledge of election day polling and political analysis has resulted in attention from major news organizations such as CNBC, Associated Press, Bloomberg, the BBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, NBC and a host of other national and international media outlets. The political polling expert is here to tell us how he plans to spend election day and (more importantly) how he see’s this election day playing out.
How do you plan to spend today’s election day morning?
I have scheduled radio interviews starting at 7:30 am and TV interviews beginning at 8:15am. After interviews, I’ll be quietly monitoring precinct by precinct turnout and answering any questions via email or tweet. I’ll also work on a placeholder “PollPal” column for early Boston Herald editions until we know the results.
What are the top priorities on your to-do list for election day?
To make sure I complete the list, to have high energy for the broadcast interviews and to be available for any reporters in a pinch on a deadline.
What is the worst part and the best part about election day for you?
Worst part: If there are problems at the polls with long lines, election equipment issues or voters getting turned away at the polls. There are always allegations that one campaign or the other is violating election day rules. It hurts to see democracy spoiled at the polls on election day no matter who is the candidate.
Best part of election day: It ends. And I can go back to a quiet life and re-introduce myself to my family (if they’ll have me). My wife is a singer, and I have a young politician starting at Phillips Academy Andover and another in public schools who is a rock star (see angymusic.com). I can throw my energy behind their careers for a change.
If you could impart one piece of advice to our readers for election day, what would it be?
No matter who you support don’t be encouraged or discouraged by anything you hear or see. It is probably amplified and won’t impact the outcome. What is important is that you relax, choose your next mayor and express yourself for every other office like at-large councilor, district councilor, or even the proposed casino (if you live in East Boston).
How close do you think the election will be today?
The last Suffolk/Herald poll had it close with Walsh overtaking Connolly last week, although there were some undecideds who still had not made a choice. I wouldn’t be surprised if 120,000 Bostonians made it to the polls and the winner/loser were separated by less than 8,000.
Who do you predict will be the winner and Boston’s next mayor?
I have to defer to the polling and say Walsh.
