Early in-person and mail-in ballot turnout saw a major increase this year for the Massachusetts State Primary. However, polling locations in the Boston University area saw low in-person voter turnout on primary day.
One reason for the low in-person voter turnout was an increase in early in-person and mail-in turnout, according to a press release from Common Cause Massachusetts. Nearly half a million Massachusetts residents, or 9.8% of all registered voters, returned mail-in ballots or voted in-person by the time polls opened the morning of the primary, according to NBC10 Boston.
“Vote by mail and in-person early voting options … continue to be a win for voters and democracy, strengthening access to the ballot and making voting more accessible to Bay Staters,” according to the press release.
At the poll located at the BU Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences and Engineering, workers told The Daily Free Press that only two Bostonians had come out to vote by 2 p.m. By 6:21 p.m., the location received four voters.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
Fenway Community Center saw a total of 50 votes cast as of 6:47 p.m., poll workers told The Daily Free Press.
Bridget Basilico, 70, cast a ballot in the Democratic primary at the polling location on Boston University’s campus at Kilachand Hall.
Basilico said that Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley were uncontested in their races, as were others. In the races with multiple candidates, Basilico voted for Mara Dolan for Governor’s Council, Allison Cartwright for Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court and John Powers for Clerk of Suffolk County Civil Business Court.
The offices on the state ballot are United States Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor’s Councillor, State Senator, State Representative, Register of Deeds, Clerk of Courts and, in some counties, County Commissioner.
Basilico said she thinks many of the offices on the primary ballot are little known by the general public, resulting in more uncontested races.
Basilico said she doesn’t understand how her choice for lesser-known offices like the Clerk of the Superior Court would impact her, so she understands how people would not be interested in voting for that position.
Basilico said she thought not many people knew it was primary day because it was not highly publicized. She said she thought the media “neglected” the primary, and there should have been more information made available online about the races for different offices.
The November general election is “a different story,” Basilico said. She said she is “very involved and care[s], and it matters greatly to [her].”
