Although Massachusetts is a safe Democratic state and therefore not a crucial battleground in these elections, the city of Westminster, population 8,000, is a benchmark community that tends to lean toward the national winner .
In 2016, when Trump first won the White House, Westminster backed controversial businessman with 2,165 votes to 1,958 for his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. But in 2020, when current President Joe Biden defeated Trump nationally, Westminster seeks winner againby 2,665 votes to 2,477.
The schism is one of the few similarities between Westminster, Massachusetts, and its namesake more than 3,000 miles across the world: the United Kingdom’s political epicenter in London.

“In the city, it’s pretty shared,” said a store owner in Westminster in the United States, who requested anonymity. “I don’t think people are tearing their faces off, but it’s definitely politically charged.”
Many residents accuse the media of fueling similar divisions across states, while admitting to seeking outlets aligned with their own views to receive the information.
O’Toole watches the pundits on Fox News, but Howland demands a channel change if Fox plays in the bars she visits.