The Massachusetts State Primary takes place tomorrow — Tuesday, September 1st. I’m reminding about, and adding more info on, important details.
Voting & Party Registration
Tomorrow’s primary is for voters to choose who will run as a party nominee for state offices on the November general election ballot. This year, only Democrats and Republicans are holding primaries in Massachusetts.
If you are unenrolled in either of those parties you can choose which of those which primary ballots you want to vote on. (That includes anyone registered with a “third party” political designations — Libertarian, Socialist, Green, Rainbow, etc.)
If you are a member of one of the two big parties you can only vote on their ballot.
Voting In-Person
Regular in-person voting hours will be the standard 6:30 am – 8:00 pm in the gym at Trottier Middle School (49 Parkerville Road) on Tuesday, September 1st. But given the timing of the primary falling on the first day of Northborough-Southborough Public School, I’m warning readers to avoid heading to the poll during the morning drop-off hours for Trottier and Neary (which has shared driveways).
Traffic around and through the Trottier & Neary campus can get a bit snarled that first morning before bus drivers and families who drop-off/pick-up kids get into a groove for the school year. To avoid adding to chaos (and avoid being late if you’re commuting to work) I’d try to vote before or after the following windows:
- 7:20 – 7:50 am — Trottier’s buses are scheduled to begin dropping kids at the school around 7:20 am, and the school day kicks off with their first bell at 7:50 am.
- 8:25 am – 8:45 am — Neary School’s doors open at 8:25 am, and the first bell is at 8:45 am.
You may also want to avoid the pickup times at the end of their school days. That’s 2:12 pm at Trottier and 3:00 pm at Neary.
Voting By Mail
I just learned this morning something that anyone voting by mail should keep in mind. According to the New York Times, based on a change made in 2024, mail is no longer postmarked at the local post office where it enters the mail stream and doesn’t automatically get postmarked until it reaches a regional center.
According to the USPS website, the idea that postmarks show the day that mail was collected or dropped at a post office has always been a “myth”. However, the USPS website does state that you can get a postmark at retail locations for free upon request.
If you have a mail-in ballot and dropping it in a postbox is the only option you have for voting, it’s still worth doing — and the sooner the better. But, if you can get it postmarked at a post office near you, or (even better) drop it directly in the Town’s dedicated election drop box at the Town House (17 Common St) before 8:00 pm on the 1st, that’s the safer route.
Contests on the ballot
Below are details on who is competing for Southborough’s votes in the primaries. (I inserted links to their campaign websites so you can research their positions.) Only Democratic and Republican parties have candidates officially running in our precincts.
The Democratic Ballot (click here for the ballot or here for my easier to read list)
Most of the candidates are incumbents running uncontested. (And it looks like six of them will also be uncontested in the general election, judging by the blanks on the Republican’s primary ballot.)
The big race that’s been making lots of headlines (and generating a slew of ads) is Congressman Moulton’s challenge to Senator Markey. But there is also a hotly contested regional race on Southborough’s primary ballot:
- U.S. Senator
- Edward Markey (Incumbent, Malden resident)
- Seth Moulton (Salem resident)
- view their debates: July 8th debate, August 3rd debate, and August 20th debate
- Governor’s Councillor – Third District The winner of this race will be uncontested in the general election.
- Mara Dolan (Concord resident)
- Margie Palladino (Wellesley resident)
- view their debate: August 6th debate (posted August 18th)
The Republican Ballot (click here for the ballot or here for my easier to read list)
Most of the Republicans are unchallenged in their bids to take on Democrats in the general election. But there is one contest, and it’s a key one:
- Governor
- Michael Roger Minogue (Hamilton resident)
- Brian Shortsleeve (Barnstable resident)
- (No debate: Minogue refused to participate in one for the primary.)
For more info, check the Town’s website here.
And don’t forget to save-the-date for the November 3rd general election.
