Outside of the Lower Mills Branch of the Boston Public Library Tuesday morning, a line of Boston voters, all six feet apart, waited to cast their votes in the general election. In that line, dressed in an overcoat, blue tie, and Biden-Harris button stood Mayor Martin J. Walsh.

Walsh, wearing a “BLUE COLLAR BIDEN” mask, waited in line for around 30 minutes, chatting with voters about their chosen candidates and their favorite sports teams, before casting his vote for Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris.  

“I’m very excited,” he said in an interview with The Beacon. “[This is] probably one of the most exciting votes I’ve ever taken in my life.”. 

Walsh, a Democrat, was optimistic about Massachusetts voting blue but concerned about the battleground states, saying all eyes will be on them through the coming days.

“Oh, [Massachusetts] is going to be blue today,” he said. “I’m not worried about Massachusetts being blue. I want to make sure North Carolina and Arizona and Georgia and Michigan and Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio and Iowa. If they’re all blue, I’ll sleep well, tonight.” 

Condemning Trump, this election, he said, is an opportunity to begin taking the U.S. in the right direction.

“A lot of people are unsatisfied with the way Donald Trump has taken our country,” Walsh said. “So I think people coming out, the majority of people, at least here are coming out to support Vice President Biden and Senator Harris.”

Walsh said he doesn’t expect any demonstrations to happen in the city tonight, and that he is only expecting celebrations. But Gov. Charlie Baker called 1,000 national guard members to Boston Monday, in anticipation of protests or other demonstrations that may break out.

Walsh was adamant about first-time voters getting involved in today’s and future elections. Early voting data seems to indicate a massive surge of new voters that did not vote in 2016. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 100 million Americans had already voted, nearly three-quarters of the total that voted in 2016.

“First-time voters will definitely have an impact on the turnout election today around the country,” he said. “College students should be engaged, not just the years you’re in college, but afterwards, it’s important that college students stay active. Because college students, you’re the future of the country. It’s a very important voting demographic to keep that engaged in the voting process.” 

Election Day is here. I just voted for @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris.

If you haven't voted yet, make a plan to get to your polling location by 8 p.m. And please get your friends, family, and neighbors to #vote too. #mapoli #bospoli pic.twitter.com/UOYQC93Q7I

— Marty Walsh (@MartyJWalsh) November 3, 2020