In the contest for governor and lieutenant governor, Athol chose Republicans Mike Minogue and Shawn Oliver over Democratic incumbents Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll by a margin of 13 votes, 1,981 to 1,968.
In other contested races, however, voters in Athol stuck with the incumbents. Democrat Edward Markey saw more support over Republican John Deaton by a vote of 2,113 to 1,852. Shiva Ayyadurai saw only 168 votes for governor, while Joe Tache received 67. Attorney General Andrea Campbell bested Republican challenger Michael Walsh 2,234 to 1,913.
Athol strongly backed Secretary of State William Galvin over Anne Brensley by a vote of 2,452 to 1,701, along with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg over Elizabeth Dionne, 2,272 to 1,860.
In Athol, Auditor Diana DiZoglio (D) had a commanding lead over Republican challenger Al Ozonoff by a vote of 2,850 to 920.
Incumbents who ran unopposed in Athol include U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, state Sen. Jo Comerford, state Rep. Susannah Whipps, state Rep. Aaron Saunders, District Attorney Joe Early, Jr., and Register of Probate Stephanie Fattman.
Turnout, according to Town Clerk Nancy Burnham, was roughly 42 percent of registered voters – 4,285 out of 10,150 – though the results are still unofficial.
On the nine ballot questions, Athol voted the following:
- Question 1 (expand public records law): Yes 3,465 – No 703
- Question 2 (collective bargaining for public defenders): Yes 2,310 – No 1,814
- Question 3 (all-party primaries): Yes 1,903 – No 2,265
- Question 4 (election day registration): Yes 1,953 – No 2,198
- Question 5 (limit to state revenue): Yes 2,274 – No 1,838
- Question 6 (establishment of nature fund): Yes 2,484 – No 1,649
- Question 7 (single-family home lots): Yes 1,768 – No 2,381
- Question 8 (repeal legal cannabis): Yes 937 – No 3,299
- Question 9 (firearms regulations): Yes 1,937 – No 2,320
Royalston
- U.S. Senate: Markey 337, Deaton 290, Ayyadurai 21 and Tache 13
- Governor: Healey/Driscoll 333 – Minogue/Oliver 301
- Attorney General: Campbell 360 – Walsh 297
- Secretary of State: Galvin 397 – Brensley 265
- Treasurer: Goldberg 372 – Dionne 283
- Auditor: DiZoglio 435 – Ozonoff 162
- Question 1: Yes 564 – No 88
- Question 2: Yes 397 – No 252
- Question 3: Yes 286 – No 375
- Question 4: Yes 302 – No 357
- Question 5: Yes 341 – No 310
- Question 6: Yes 414 – No 251
- Question 7: Yes 203 – No 465
- Question 8: Yes 185 – No 485
- Question 9: Yes 269 – No 390
A total of 677 votes were cast in Royalston out of a possible 1,179 voters, a turnout of 57 percent.
Phillipston
- U.S. Senate: Deaton 508 Markey 407
- Governor: Minogue/Oliver 544 – Healey/Driscoll 385
- Attorney General: Walsh 516 – Campbell 452
- Secretary of State: Galvin 496 – Brensley 469
- Treasurer: Dionne 509 – Goldberg 449
- Auditor: DiZoglio 612 – Ozonoff 271
- Governor’s Council: Margaret Abboud (R) 493 – Paul DePalo (D-I) 457
- State Senator: Peter Durant (R-I) 582 – Shannon Teabo (D) 365.
- Question 1: Yes 845 – No 120
- Question 2: Yes 498 – No 454
- Question 3: No 623 – Yes 343
- Question 4: No 609 – Yes 357
- Question 5: Yes 540 – No 421
- Question 6: Yes 506 – No 457
- Question 7: No 681 – Yes 278
- Question 8: No 756 – Yes 206
- Question 9: No 631 – Yes 332
Petersham
- U.S. Senate: Markey 429, Deaton 286, Ayyadurai 24, Tache 20
- Governor: Healey/Driscoll 430 – Minogue/Oliver 304
- Attorney General: Campbell 458 – Walsh 299
- Secretary of State: Galvin 490 – Brensley 268
- Treasurer: Goldberg 458 – Dionne 288
- Auditor: DiZoglio 562 – Ozonoff 128
- Question 1: Yes 667 – No 90
- Question 2: Yes 446 – No 312
- Question 3: Yes 594 – No 470
- Question 4: Yes 371 – No 391
- Question 5: Yes 337 – No 405
- Question 6: Yes 481 – No 278
- Question 7: Yes 263 – No 501
- Question 8: Yes 185 – No 577
- Question 9: Yes 370 – No 387
A total of 777 registered voters, out of a total of 1,113, cast ballots. That represents a voter turnout of 69 percent.