Polls closed at 8 p.m. and results were not immediately available.

“I would be thrilled” if the measure passes, said Ann Civitareale, parent of two Medford High students. Both of her sons have learning disabilities and struggled with the MCAS exams.

“They both work very hard and deserve degrees,” she said.

The campaign to end the MCAS graduation requirement is the culmination of decades of the frustration of many educators and parents with high-stakes standardized tests fueled by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, which left many students academically behind and unable to catch up.

The Massachusetts Association of Teachers, which launched the ballot campaign, argued that the requirement causes too much anxiety among students, unfairly penalizes poor test takers and is potentially discriminatory. They also say MCAS forces teachers to spend too much time on test preparation, eliminating civics, the arts and other subjects. The union believes a more holistic approach to assessing students would provide more useful information about whether they are college or workforce ready.

Opponents of the ballot question say the MCAS graduation requirement has been instrumental in helping propel Massachusetts schools from the middle of the pack nationally to the topand ensures that graduates have a basic level of skills in English, maths and science.

Most students pass the exams in the first attempt. But every year, more than 700 students are denied degrees because they couldn’t pass one or more MCAS exams, or about 1 percent of all potential high school graduates.

About 85% of those who never pass are English language learners or students with disabilities.

“For me, having ADHD and dyslexia, it gets to a certain point that’s really bad, especially when I’m taking tests,” said Hanem Shabana, 15, a senior at North Quincy High School who will take the MCAS this . spring. Shabana has failed MCAS exams in the past. If voters reject Question 2, she fears she won’t graduate if she keeps fighting.

“If it ends up passing, I shouldn’t have this constant worry of having to pass every time,” she said.

The MTA far outperformed its opponents in the business-backed “No to 2” campaign, spending more than 16 million dollars on staff time and money, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures, and has garnered support from congressional Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley. He even attracted support from the Cambridge native and ‘Bourne Identity’ and ‘Good Will Hunting’ star Matt Damon.

By comparison, Protect our children’s futurethe opposite campaign to question 2, raised over $5 millionbacked by a $2.5 million donation from billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg less than a week before the election. Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Attorney General Andrea Campbell also puzzled to keep the graduation requirement.

Usually the most vocal opponents of repealing the MCAS graduation requirement have ties to the business or philanthropic communities or are former leaders of state education.

With many students struggling with the learning losses they experienced during the pandemic, opponents say the state should double down on maintaining high academic standards instead of getting rid of them. Ultimately, they argue, a repeal could leave college admissions representatives and employers confused about the value and legitimacy of a Massachusetts public high school diploma.

But by October, the survey showed the largest teachers’ union in the state had won a comfortable majority of the electorate.

Mike Sullivan, a math teacher for Brockton Public Schools, disagrees with the union’s position on the MCAS and opposes Question 2. Absent meaningful consequences, students won’t take the MCAS seriously, he said, diminishing utility as an assessment and accountability tool. Passing Question 2, he said, will lead to lower standards for students.

“I think any opportunity you give districts to lower expectations, they will,” Sullivan said. “MCAS is not perfect, but at least it gives us a standard. (Districts) know at the end of the year the state is going to look under the hood and see how we’re doing.”

Massachusetts public school districts have long had the ability to set their own graduation requirements, resulting in a patchwork system in which some high schools have extremely high graduation standards and others have low standards.

If Question 2 passes, high school students will still have to take the MCAS exams, which are required under state and federal law to judge their schools’ academic performance. Also, MCAS will continue to be given to students in grades 3-8.

State lawmakers decided to require students to pass the one that has not yet been developed MCAS examsas part of 1993 Law on education reformto ensure that high school graduates possess the skills necessary for postsecondary success.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has set a low standard for passing the tests: Last spring, students needed just 20 out of 51 points on the English test, 15 out of 60 points on the math test and 18 out of 60 points . in the biology exam.

The tests are administered to 10th graders each spring in separate subjects, including math and English. Students taking any part of the MCAS were given four more opportunities to take the tests during their junior and senior years.

Students who do not pass can lobby for an appeal from the state department of education if they meet specific criteria and demonstrate a knowledge of the subject. But instead of a diploma, they receive a “certificate of graduation,” indicating that they have met only local graduation requirements.

Deanna Pan can be reached at [email protected]. Follow a @DDpan.