Time To Vote, Framingham: What To Expect On Primary Day

FRAMINGHAM, MA —Tuesday's Massachusetts primary election will be one for the history books.

Sure, there are plenty of interesting races, most notably the big Democratic contest between U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III. But more notably, it will be the first primary election in Massachusetts to take place during a pandemic in about 100 years.

If you're heading to the polls, you'll be one of the few. Secretary of State William Galvin on Monday reported that about 850,000 had already voted by absentee ballot. About 1.3 million people usually vote in a September primary, which means the election has largely already taken place.

Galvin also said a large chunk of the expected remaining 400,000 votes will come on primary day. If many of those are cast through the mail, it's possible the election could change over the rest of the week — not typical for a state that's accustomed to tallying votes cast at polls on a single day.

(And if you're voting absentee on Tuesday, you have to turn your ballot in by 8 p.m. for it to count.)

In other states that vote by mail, elections can take longer to wrap up as mailed ballots arrive in waves. In Washington state, which has largely been voting entirely by mail since about 2005, elections aren't typically solidified until the Friday after an election held on a Tuesday. And, late returns tend to favor more left-leaning candidates.

Over the summer, some other U.S. states have held primaries largely by mail for the first time due to the pandemic. Some of those states, like Colorado and Alabama, have seen much higher turnout compared to other years — although it's unclear if that's entirely due to the more convenient vote-by-mail option.

In Massachusetts, some voters may be nervous about voting absentee by mail (although many towns and cities have set up drop boxes to collect ballots) due to recent issues surrounding the U.S. Postal Service. Less than 30 percent of respondents to an informal survey of Patch Massachusetts readers said they would trust the USPS with their ballots.

If you're heading to the polls in Framingham on Tuesday, here's what you need to know.

Where to vote in Framingham

If you voted absentee, use the Secretary of State's website to track your ballot.

In-person voting on Sept. 1 will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Remember to wear a mask and keep 6 feet of distance when you visit your polling place:

• Precincts 1, 3 —George P. King School, 454 Water St.
• Precinct 2 — Potter Road School, 492 Potter Road
• Precincts 4, 7 — Brophy School, 575 Pleasant St.
• Precincts 5, 6 — Walsh Middle, School 301 Brook St.
• Precincts 8, 9 — Wesley United Methodist Parish Center, 80 Beacon St.
• Precincts 10, 11 — Keefe Technical School, 750 Winter St.
• Precincts 12, 14 — Memorial Building, 150 Concord St.
• Precinct 13 — McCarthy School, 8 Flagg Drive
• Precincts 15, 18 — 15 St. Tarcisius Parish 562 Waverly St.
• Precincts 16, 17 — Woodrow Wilson School, 169 Leland St.

You can also see Framingham's voting precincts on a map.

Who's on the ballot

For Democrats, the Kennedy-Markey race is at the top of the ticket, followed by U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who is running unopposed this year. Framingham's entire Legislative delegation — state Sen. Karen Spilka, and Reps. Maria Robinson, Jack Lewis and Carmine Gentile — are also running unopposed.

Robert Jubinville is running unopposed for the 2nd District Governor's Council seat, and Tara DeCristofaro is running unopposed to keep her seat as the Middlesex Register of Probate.

Republicans also have a U.S. Senate primary race. Shiva Ayyadurai and Kevin O'Connor are running against each other for the chance to face off against either Markey or Kennedy in the November general. Caroline Colarusso is running unopposed for the chance to challenge Clark in the general election.

Republican voters in the 13th Middlesex District (precinct 3) will also see Sudbury resident Ingrid Centurion on the ballot. She'll advance to run against Gentile in the November general.

Kennedy vs. Markey in Framingham

Framingham will be a major battleground for the U.S. Senate primary race. Not only are there plenty of Democratic votes here, but local political leaders have chosen sides in the race.

Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer has been one of Kennedy's main surrogates in the race. She appeared this week on a support call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and was one of several Black leaders who supported Kennedy when questions were raised about his ties to the Kappa Alpha fraternity. City Council Vice Chair Adam Steiner has also supported Kennedy, appearing in a campaign video (along with Spicer) shot at the Memorial Building.

Markey has notable support here, too. City Councilors Margareth Basilio Shepard and Cesar Stewart-Morales have endorsed, and so have School Committee member Priscila Sousa and former member Gloria Pascual. He also has the backing of the entire Framingham legislative delegation, including Spilka, Lewis, Robinson and Gentile.

One notable exception: U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who has not made a clear endorsement in the race. U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, who's district skirts around Framingham near Callahan State Park, has endorsed Markey.

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