Tewksbury Primary Voters Guide

TEWKSBURY, MA -- The biggest draw for local voters in the state primaries on September 4th is the Democratic primary for the 19th Middlesex District seat in the state house of representatives. When James Miceli died in April, candidates flooded the race hoping to secure the seat that he had held for more than four decades.

On the Republican side, Pina Prinzivalli is running unopposed. Independent candidate Patricia Meuse is already on November's ballot. The five candidates running for the Democratic nomination are:

• Wilmington Democratic Town Committee Chair Erika Johnson of Wilmington describes herself as a "proud progressive" Democrat. At 25, she is the youngest candidate in the race.
• In last week's debate, Tewksbury Selectman Mark Kratman differentiated himself from his four opponents by saying he would not necessarily vote for the winner of the primary in the general election if he loses. "I'm not going to vote the party, I'm going to vote the person," he said.
• Wilmington Selectman Michael McCoy was Miceli's nephew and, at 59, is the oldest candidate in the race. He is the only candidate not accepting campaign contributions.
• Former Wilmington school committee member and selectman Judy O'Connell, 44, is a former high school math teacher and has co-owned a realtor business in Wilmington for the past 11 years, allowing her to claim "I'm the only candidate in this race to work in both the public and private sector" during last week's debate.
• David Robertson, who was Miceli's legislative aide, continues in that role handling constituent contact for the vacant seat. Throughout the campaign he has tried to align himself as the candidate that would continue Miceli's legacy.

Candidate's whose names contain a link responded to Patch's request to submit a candidate profile, where they answered a series of questions on the issues affecting voters in Wilmington and Tewksbury. You can read their responses by clicking on the link.

In addition to the well-publicized State Representative race, Tewksbury voters have a contested Democratic primary for State Senator. The candidates are:

• Mike Armano of Dracut
• Barry R. Finegold of Andover. Finegold is a former state senator.
• Pavel Payano of Lawrence. Payano sits on Lawrence City Council and is a former Lawrence School Committee member.

The town has specimen ballots for Democratic, Libertarian and Republican primaries, where you can view all races, on its Website.

Not Sure Who To Vote For? Read Patch's Coverage Of The Race

In addition to the candidate profiles listed above, the following articles that have recently appeared on Patch may be helpful in helping voters make their decisions before they head to the polls on September 4:

• Democratic State Rep Hopefuls Talk Pizza, Red Sox In Debate (8/21/2018)
• Accusations Of Sign Theft In Wilmington, Tewksbury State Rep Race (8/15/2018)
• Planned Parenthood Endorses Johnson In State Rep Race (8/8/2018)
• O'Connell Picks Up More Key Endorsements In State Rep Race (8/6/2018)
• Wilmington Selectman Won't Take Donations In State Rep Race (7/30/2018)

Election Day

In Massachusetts, voters who designated a party when they registered to vote can only vote in that party's primary. Unaffiliated voters can choose which party's primary they want to vote in at the polling.

Polling places open at 7 am and close at 8 pm on September 4.

Voter Registration and Polling Places

The deadline to register to vote in the primary was August 15. You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's Website. You can also use the Website to find your polling place.

If you missed the deadline to register to vote, make sure you register by October 17 for the general election in November.

The following is a list of polling places for Tewksbury precincts:

• Precinct 1 Senior Center 175 Chandler St.
• Precinct 1A Senior Center 175 Chandler St.
• Precinct 2 Recreation Center 286 Livingston St.
• Precinct 2A Recreation Center 286 Livingston St.
• Precinct 3 Town Hall 1009 Main St.
• Precinct 3A Town Hall 1009 Main St. Precinct 4 Library 300 Chandler St. Precinct 4A Library 300 Chandler St.

Absentee Ballots

The deadline to pick up an absentee ballot is 5 PM on Friday, Aug. 31. Absentee ballots can be requested from the Tewksbury Town Clerk in writing, by either the voter or a family member. Absentee ballots are available to people who will be out of town during the hours the polls are open, have a physical disability preventing them from going to the polling place, or a religious belief.

The easiest way to request an absentee ballot is to fill out a Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application and return it to the town clerk's office.

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Patch file photo via Shutterstock.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).