LYMOUTH - They were kings and queens yesterday, empowered by direct democracy, entrusted with the fate of the Commonwealth. But never fear the rule of the impassioned mob; the Massachusetts electorate wasn't mad-as-hell so much as calm, cool, and informed.
Sure, there was the Framingham man who refused to even touch eight ballot questions, or the Quincy man who voted against tax cuts largely because he hates Lieutenant Governor Jane Swift. But many voters had weighed the arguments carefully, or stood firmly on their principles, or voted based on practicality: as Michael Buoniconti of Springfield said, ''Any time the government offers to lower taxes, we should do it.''
On a picture-perfect fall day, Massachusetts residents hit the polls in numbers that reflected both the weather and their power. By early evening, scattered polling places were reporting long lines, and rumors had spread that a Medford precinct was running out of ballots. Many polling places stayed late to accommodate voters who were still braving lines at 8 p.m.
And voters did more than show up; many seemed to take their responsibilities seriously. Despite the crowds of banner-wavers near the polling places, the TV ads with emotional pleas about drug treatment and dog treatment, scores of Massachusetts residents said they hadn't been swayed by propaganda. Instead, they had been reading, and reasoning, and making their choices rationally.
Tammy Martin, 27, a nursing home worker from Plymouth, had never voted before yesterday, saying the whole affair ''just never really made much sense to me.'' But after hearing a get-out-the-vote plea from wrestling star Vince McMahon, she decided to give it a shot. She arrived, mid-afternoon, at her designated polling place - the Mayflower 1 Meeting Room at Plymouth Town Hall - and read every page of the state-suppled voters' handbook. Then she made her decisions, based on common sense.
Many others started taking sides days or weeks in advance. Jessica and John Connelly of Plymouth researched ballot questions on the Internet. Linda Kwok of Quincy talked to people at work. Greg and Trinja Watson of Roxbury discussed the issues with their church group. And across the state, voters like the Watsons filed into the polls clutching crib sheets: sticky-notes, or pages torn from notebooks, or lists scribbled on newspaper clippings.
It wasn't a fail-proof system, voters said. It was hard to keep the consequences of a ''yes'' and ''no'' vote straight on Question 3, or figure out exactly what Question 8 would do. It was hard to remember your crib sheet: Sandra Fredette of West Springfield didn't vote on ballot questions because she left her slip of paper at home.
And it could be tough to recall exactly what you had just done.
''Isn't that terrible? I don't remember,'' said Anne Dowdell, as she emerged from her polling place in Springfield.
But if their memories were taxed, many entered and exited the polls with their principles intact. Nikki, 26, a real estate worker from Plymouth who wouldn't give her last name, had her reasons for voting ''yes'' to end greyhound racing with Question 3.
''I saw some skinny dogs and I don't like gambling anyway,'' she said.
Phyllis Godwin of Quincy, who owns an electrical supply company and describes her age as ''70-plus,'' knew perfectly well why she intended to vote for an income tax cut.
''Governments have a way of spending money if it's there, and they have a way of being fiscally prudent if it's not,'' she said.
And Marilyn Machkowsky of Framingham knew the arguments on both sides of Question 5, the universal health care question, and decided to vote ''yes'' to send a message.
''I know we have a patients' bill of rights in place,'' she said, ''but I want to reiterate the need for more and better health care.''
Still, a vote for a ballot question didn't translate into absolute confidence that it would come to pass. Steve Jennings, 44, who owns a trucking company in Plymouth, favored universal health care but was skeptical. After all, once the question leaves the hands of the electorate, it falls into the hands of the Legislature. And what happens next, Jennings said, is anyone's guess.
''Is it gonna be real?'' he said. ''We're gonna vote for it, but is it gonna really be there?
Globe correspondents Daniel Barbarisi and Eric Goldscheider contributed to this report.
