Exactly 16,555 of Newton’s 60,987 registered voters cast a ballot in the September 3 Primary Election, which determined the Democratic candidates for State Representative for the 11th Middlesex and 12th Middlesex Districts. There were several options for voting – by mail, by Early Voting at City Hall, by the Drop Box in front of City Hall, and at polling locations on Election Day. So how did the 16,555 Newton voters choose to cast their ballots?
According to John Doyle, Newton Election Supervisor, 17,933 voters requested Vote-by-Mail ballots this year. Of that number, 10,007 (55.8%) voted using those ballots — which represents 60.4% of the 16,555 who voted. In the seven-day, in-person opportunity Early Voting, 772 (4.7%) people came to Newton City Hall to cast their ballots before the September 3 Primary. On Primary Day, 5,776 (34.9%) voted at their polling place. The Election Department does not have a separate accounting mechanism for differentiating the number of ballots placed in the drop box at City Hall, as those are included with the mailed-in ballots.
Tuesday, September 17, was National Voter Registration Day, with volunteers across the nation helping people to register for the November General Election. Newton Free Library staff set up a table in the first floor lobby, providing people with mail-in applications, registration assistance, and answers to a variety of questions. Susan Caulfield began the Library registration project about eight years ago and has the enthusiastic support of her library colleagues.
Looking ahead to the November 5 General Election, Debra O’Malley, Communications Director for the Secretary of State’s Office, noted that more people vote in person in November elections than in primary elections, although more people vote by mail in suburban areas than in Boston. Responding to questions about the reliability of the United States Postal Service, after reports of ballots being delivered to the wrong town clerks or returned to the sender, she said that Secretary of State Galvin is in regular communication with representatives from the U.S. Postal Service to discuss general delivery issues.
The Secretary of State’s Office believes that the best way to vote is what is most convenient for each voter. Ms. O’Malley said that voting in person or dropping one’s ballot in the drop box are options that assure ballots are received, but those are not options for everyone. To protect voters who mail in their ballots, she advises that people post them at least seven days before the election and to track them on the Secretary of State’s website. Both she and Mr. Doyle explained that there is a three-day period after Election Day for ballots to arrive by mail, so ballots received up to November 8 will be counted. Ballots for the General Election will be mailed out to voters in early October. If voters requested a Vote-by-mail ballot, they may still choose instead to vote in person.
The Newton Election Department website has information about voting and polling places.