FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — Friday was the final day for early voting in Massachusetts and voters across the state are took advantage of the opportunity. For voters in Fall River, early voting provided a chance to make their voices heard before election day. Many residents arrived at local polling stations to avoid the anticipated long lines on Election Day. “I always voted early when it came time to vote, it’s better to come sooner than later when it actually comes time to vote,” resident Jillona Cansler said. For others, early voting came as a surprise. “It was kind of tough, there was so many people on the ballot and questions,” resident Richard Hindle said. I have never seen a ballot like that.” A specific ballot question did have voters talking. Question 5, which focuses raising minimum wage for servers from $6.75 to $15 over a five year period, stood out to some, including one voter who says it strikes a personal note. “If the tipping’s not there, it hurts the service,” Keith Viverios said. “So, I know raising the prices hurts the service, it hurts the bartenders, so I think that’s a legitimate issue.” As of Oct. 31, more than 500,000 early ballots had been cast in Massachusetts, and over 1 million mail-in ballots had been returned to the state, which makes for nearly 30% of registered voters. Categories: Fall River, Massachusetts, News