It’s an even-numbered year and midterm election season has arrived in Dukes County as well as around the country.

The deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 6 election is next Wednesday, Oct. 17. Early voting begins Oct. 22. All that is needed to register is some form of identification with a current street address. State identification, driver’s licenses, phone bill, utility bills and more will suffice. 

Island town clerks report they have already seen an uptick in submitted absentee ballots.

“We have quite a few more people coming in to do an absentee ballot than in the past,” said Edgartown town clerk Wanda Williams.

In Oak Bluffs, town clerk Laura Johnston said the town has already outpaced its 2014 voter registration by 170 voters. While 3,721 people registered in 2014, there are 3,891 people eligible to vote in the Nov. 6 election with a week of registration to go.

Tisbury town clerk Hillary Conklin agreed about the higher registration numbers.

“There’s been a little uptick since ’14,” she said. “Nowhere near what it was like in ’16, but I would say kind of a steady flow.”

And even though 2016 was a presidential election year, Ms. Johnston said 2018 has a chance to outpace even that year in Oak Bluffs. The town is only 50 registered voters shy of the 2016 total of 3,941.

Tara Whiting is at the ready as West Tisbury town clerk. — Jeanna Shepard

This year’s ballot features a full array of statewide elections, including challenges to Elizabeth Warren’s U.S. Senate seat and incumbent Gov. Charlie Baker. Down ballot, the race for retiring clerk of courts Joe Sollitto’s seat highlights a bevy of local elections that also include seats on the county commission and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, as well as unchallenged races for register of deeds and register of probate. Voters will also face three ballot questions that address patient-nurse ratio limits, campaign finance and transgender bathroom rights.

First on the ballot is the U.S. Senate race. Democratic incumbent Elizabeth Warren is facing a Republican challenge from Whitman resident Geoff Diehl. Shiva Ayyadurai, from Belmont, is running as an independent.

In the gubernatorial race, incumbent Republican Charlie Baker is running for reelection with his current Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. Democratic primary winner Jay Gonzalez is challenging Mr. Baker with running mate Quentin Palfrey.

Other statewide contests include races for attorney general, with Republican James McMahon 3rd challenging incumbent Democrat Maura Healey, as well as races for secretary of state, treasurer and auditor.

In the ninth district, which covers Martha’s Vineyard and much of the Cape, Congressional Rep. Bill Keating is facing a challenge from Republican Peter Tedeschi. Mr. Keating has represented the Massachusetts ninth district in Washington since 2011.

State Rep. Dylan Fernandes is running unopposed for his seat in the Massachusetts House, while incumbent Democratic state Sen. Julian Cyr is facing a challenge from republican John Flores. Republican Michael O’Keefe is running unopposed for Cape and Islands district attorney.

In local races, T. George Davis, who won the democratic primary for clerk of courts in September, is facing unenrolled candidate Anthony Piland for Mr. Sollitto’s seat, which has been held by the same person for more than 40 years.

The clerk of courts performs and assists with duties in both civil and administrative court, including maintaining, authenticating and protecting court orders and records.

There are eight people running for seven seats on the Dukes county commission. Although six of the eight are running for reelection, 18-year-old recent Martha's Vineyard Charter School graduate Keith Chatinover mounted a Democratic primary write-in campaign to appear on the ballot in the general election. Another new candidate will be Tisbury resident John Cahill.

Daphne Devries and Paulo DeOliveira are running unopposed for Register of Probate and Register of Deeds, respectively. All nine Martha’s Vineyard Commission members are running for reelection as well.

There are also three ballot questions facing voters come November. A yes vote on Question 1 would limit the number of patients that could be assigned to one registered nurse in hospitals and at certain other health care facilities. Question 2 asks if voters would like to create a citizens commission to consider and recommend a potential amendment to the U.S. Constitution to regulate corporate campaign contributions. Any resident of Massachusetts would be able to apply for appointment to the proposed 15-member commission. The third question asks voters if they approve of adding gender identity to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in public places. It would effectively allow people to use bathrooms based upon gender identity rather than sex.

More information on voting, the 2018 midterm ballot and ballot questions can be found at any of the town clerk’s offices on the Island.