Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin is predicting that voter turnout in the upcoming state primaries will far exceed the numbers from the last two comparable elections in 2016 and 2012. Despite a lack of intense races for Democrats and Republicans, Galvin said that hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots have already been returned, with Democrats leading the way.
Although most races lack competition within the same party, there are a few key contests generating interest. The Republican primary to choose U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s challenger is one such race, with former Marine John Deaton, Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain, and industrial engineer Robert Antonellis vying for the spot.
Galvin expects over 1 million voters, out of the state’s 4.8 million registered voters, to participate in the primary. He anticipates more than 500,000 Democratic votes and 250,000 Republican votes. Competitive local races, such as the one to fill a Senate seat held by outgoing Sen. Walter Timilty, are also drawing attention and driving voter turnout.
Galvin attributes the expected high turnout to local legislative races, where candidates are actively campaigning and rallying support. Despite the lack of intense races at the state level, the anticipation is that strong local contests will bring voters out to the polls on September 3.
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