Editing Bristol County, Massachusetts (section)

==Politics and government==
Bristol County has voted for the presidential nominee of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in every election since [[1960 United States presidential election|1960]] and, with the exception of [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]'s victorious campaigns of 1952 and 1956, for the Democratic nominee since 1928, before which it was a Republican stronghold. However, in [[2024 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2024]], Republican [[Donald Trump]] came the closest to winning the county since [[1984 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1984]] (when [[Ronald Reagan]] came within less than 800 votes of winning), with Democrat [[Kamala Harris]] winning only 49.6% of the vote. It was also the closest any Massachusetts county came to flipping Republican since [[1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1988]], as all counties have been won by the Democratic candidate since 1992.
{{PresHead|place=Bristol County, Massachusetts|whig=yes|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|134,196|137,786|6,035|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|119,872|153,377|6,030|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|105,443|129,540|17,157|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|93,898|143,433|4,178|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|90,531|146,861|5,728|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|82,524|147,854|2,500|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|62,848|136,325|12,164|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|47,164|127,725|23,324|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|52,370|102,406|56,978|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|83,797|107,854|1,879|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|93,232|94,010|797|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|77,545|83,460|27,600|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|69,957|116,318|5,496|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1972|Democratic|84,390|103,163|1,215|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|56,672|119,439|7,458|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|39,230|146,885|521|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|64,290|130,049|383|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|109,542|79,357|466|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|98,105|93,444|462|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|63,216|106,741|2,594|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|60,880|90,529|283|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|60,143|97,571|677|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|49,754|80,805|10,586|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|50,846|62,474|3,355|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|55,205|59,257|1,293|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|58,929|19,802|10,249|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|56,734|17,719|2,579|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|22,578|18,065|1,407|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1912|Republican|13,279|12,420|12,264|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|20,683|10,719|2,742|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|18,742|11,103|1,390|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|19,396|9,355|1,196|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|21,629|6,022|784|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|15,732|10,825|699|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|14,570|8,972|584|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|12,291|6,475|1,710|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|13,418|6,136|323|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|11,578|5,814|38|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|10,003|2,605|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|10,125|2,724|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1864|Republican|9,736|2,173|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1860|Republican|7,980|1,713|1,123|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1856|Republican|8,845|2,465|936|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1852|Whig|3,827|3,269|2,102|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1848|Whig|4,841|2,170|2,832|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1844|Democratic|4,872|4,903|644|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1840|Democratic|4,855|4,904|117|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1836|Democratic|1,732|2,568|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1832|Anti-Masonic|1,194|499|2,360|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1828|Whig|1,740|325|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1824|Whig|2,065|316|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1820|Whig|2,394|1,050|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1812|Whig|3,189|1,384|0|Massachusetts}}
{{PresRow|1804|Whig|1,729|1,137|0|Massachusetts}}
|}
{{Hidden begin
|titlestyle = background:#ccccff;
|title      = Gubernatorial elections results
}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Gubernatorial elections results<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?fips=25&f=0&off=99|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections - Sate Data|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2022]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.19% ''81,033''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.97%''' ''98,969''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.84% ''3,388''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2018]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.76%''' ''132,371''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.02% ''54,280''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.23% ''423''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2014 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2014]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''49.70%''' ''72,641''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.19% ''66,045''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.11% ''7,471''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2010 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2010]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.66% ''73,220''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''47.23%''' ''81,059''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|10.11% ''17,340''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2006 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2006]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|34.32% ''57,233''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.33%''' ''95,623''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|8.36% ''13,925''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election|2002]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.99% ''71,189''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''50.73%''' ''80,275''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.28% ''6,779''
|}
{{Hidden end}}


* Paul B. Kitchen—County Commissioner
* John R. Mitchell—County Commissioner
* John T. Saunders—County Commissioner
* Thomas M. Quinn, III—District Attorney
* Paul Heroux—Sheriff
* Christopher T. Saunders—County Treasurer
* Barry Amaral—Register of Deeds, Northern District
* Bernard McDonald—Register of Deeds, Fall River District
* Frederick M. Kalisz—Register of Deeds, Southern District
* Marc Santos—Clerk of Courts

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office maintains its administrative headquarters and operates several jail facilities in the Dartmouth Complex in North Dartmouth in [[Dartmouth, Massachusetts|Dartmouth]]. Jail facilities in the Dartmouth Complex include the Bristol County House Of Correction and Jail, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office Women's Center, and the C. Carlos Carreiro Immigration Detention Center. The office also operates the [[Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock-Up]] and the Juvenile Secure Alternative Lock Up Program (JALP) in [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]].<ref name="JailFacilities">"[http://www.bcso-ma.us/facilities.htm Facilities]." Bristol County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved on January 30, 2012. "400 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth, MA 0274" and "Bristol County House Of Correction and Jail 400 Faunce Corner Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747" and "Bristol County Sheriff's Office Women’s Center 400 Faunce Corner Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747" and "C. Carlos Carreiro Immigration Detention Center: 400 Faunce Corner Road North Dartmouth, MA 02747" and "Juvenile Secure Alternative Lock Up Program 323 Mill Street New Bedford, MA 02740 " and "Ash Street Jail and Regional Lock-Up 226 Ash Street New Bedford, MA 02740 "</ref>

The Bristol County House Of Correction and Jail has room for 1,100 prisoners. It houses men convicted of crimes who have been sentenced to {{frac|2|1|2}} years or less. It also houses high-security male pre-trial prisoners, high-security female prisoners, and pre-trial female prisoners.<ref name="JailFacilities" />

The women's center, a medium security jail, can house up to 106 women. The self-contained women's center had opened as a minimum security pre-release center for male prisoners in 1990 which could house up to 106 prisoners. When it was a pre-release facility it only housed an average of 60 prisoners because the county sheriff imposed strict conditions upon the pre-release program. In 1999 the sheriff received a federal grant to convert the pre-release center into a women's center, and he moved the pre-release program to modular units at the main jail.<ref name="JailFacilities" />

The Carreiro jail houses detained individuals who are scheduled for deportation and individuals who are engaging in proceedings with the [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (ICE). The Ash Street jail houses over 200 pre-trial prisoners and a few sentenced inmate workers for the system. JALP houses up to 12 pre-arraingment juvenile prisoners.<ref name="JailFacilities" />
===Voter registration===
{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of February 2024<ref name="Voters">{{cite web |title=The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/elections/download/research-and-statistics/enrollment_count_20240305.pdf |website=Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=April 9, 2024 |date=February 24, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unenrolled
| align = center | {{formatnum: 280,908}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |280,908 |421,704 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 95,921 }}
| align = center | {{Percentage |95,921  |421,704 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 39,270}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |39,270 |421,704 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 1,810}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |1,810 |421,704 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Third party (U.S. politics)|Other parties]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 3,795}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |3,795 |421,704 |2}}
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | {{formatnum: 421,704}}
! align = center | {{Percentage |100}}
|}

===Twin town===
The county is twinned with the [[Municipalities of Portugal|municipality]] of [[Lagoa, Azores|Lagoa]] in the [[Azores]].<ref>[http://cm-lagoa.azoresdigital.pt/default.aspx?module=NoticiaDisplay&ID=37 Câmara Municipal de Lagoa] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140523124001/http://cm-lagoa.azoresdigital.pt/default.aspx?module=NoticiaDisplay&ID=37|date=May 23, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Silva |first=Lurdes C. da |title=Azorean city of Lagoa to celebrate its 500 years with local Sister Cities, special exhibition to open May 13 in Dartmouth |url=https://www.heraldnews.com/story/news/local/ojornal/2022/05/05/azorean-city-lagoa-celebrate-its-500-years-local-sister-cities-special-exhibition-open-may-13-dartmo/9631120002/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=Fall River Herald News |language=en-US}}</ref>