Watertown voters adopted Question 5, the much debated Community Preservation Act, on Tuesday, with “Yes” receiving nearly 60 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s Presidential Election, which saw heavy voter turnout.
Question 5 received 10,258 Yes votes and 6,896 No votes in the election where 75 percent of Watertown votes cast a ballot.
In the presidential election, Democrat Hillary Clinton received the most votes – 12,924 (71 percent) – and Republican Donald Trump got 3,921 (21 percent). Libertarian Gary Johnson received 625 votes (3 percent), Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein got 320 (2 percent), and there were 405 write-in votes (2 percent).
In the state ballot questions, Watertown voted 5,258 for Question 1 (30 percent), the measure asking to add slots at a horse race track, and 12,237 against (70 percent). The measure lost statewide
In Question 2, to increase the number of charter schools, 5,757 people voted “yes,” (32 percent) in Watertown and 12,088 voted “no” (68 percent). The No vote won statewide.
On Question 3, to require farm animals not to be raised in confined areas, the town voted 14,650 for “yes” (82 percent) and 3,233 for “no” (18 percent). Statewide, voters approved Question 3.
The ballot question to legalize recreational marijuana for people over 21, Question 4, got 10,850 “yes” votes (60 percent) and 7,129 “no” votes (40 percent) in Watertown. Massachusetts voted to approved this ballot question.
In uncontested races, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, State Sen. Will Brownsberger, State Reps. Jonathan Hecht and John Lawn, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney all received about 98 percent of the vote, with the rest going to write-ins. All were reelected.