A Guide to the State Primary Election Day on Tuesday
Don’t forget to vote!
The State Primary Election is Tuesday, September 6th – yes, the day after Labor Day! Polls are open 7am-8pm. Wondering where to vote? You can check your polling location here!
Reminder: There are some new polling locations are in place in the City of Boston. The new precinct structure focuses on equity across voting populations in each precinct to reduce wait times and increase access.
What’s on the ballot?
You can check out the democratic ballot here.
Here’s the Republican Ballot
Some friendly reminders from the City of Boston for Election Day
The City of Boston Election Department is reminding residents that Tuesday, September 6, 2022 is the State Primary. Polls across the City open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., including 20 new voting precincts created from the Boston Election Department’s Precinct Adjustment Plan. The new voting precincts will provide equity across voting populations in each precinct to reduce wait times and increase voter access. Due to these changes, the City of Boston is advising voters to check their polling locations here. The new voting precincts will provide equity across voting populations in each precinct to reduce wait times and increase voter access. Due to these changes, the City of Boston is advising voters to check their polling locations here.
On the ballot:
The State Primary will include candidates for the following offices: Representative in Congress, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the Commonwealth, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Governor’s Council, State Senator, State Representative, District Attorney, and Sheriff. Voters may view a sample of their ballot here.
On Election Day, printed ballots will be available in English and Spanish, English and Chinese, and English and Vietnamese. All voting locations are handicap accessible and are equipped with AutoMARK Voting Terminals for voters with visual or language disabilities.
Vote-by-mail
The Election Department mailed out all 53,371 requested vote-by-mail and absentee ballots, and as of Friday, September 2, 26,724 ballots have been returned to the City and will be counted on Election Day. All vote-by-mail ballots must reach the Boston Election Department by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, September 6 in order to be counted. Vote by Mail ballots may be returned in one of 21 drop-box locations or in-person to Boston Election Dept., City Hall Room 241. Voters who have not received their requested mail-in ballot, must plan to vote in-person at their polling location on Election Day. Voters can track the status of requests for vote-by-mail ballots here. If there is no movement indicated in the “Track My Ballot” system, voters should plan to vote in-person.
Early voting
The City of Boston held a week of early voting with 19 polling locations across the City. As of Thursday, September 1, 3,645 votes were cast in-person.
Unofficial results
After polls close at 8 p.m., the Election Department will receive and upload unofficial results of ballots counted at polling places to the city’s website as they are returned from each precinct. The initial results reported on the website will not include: (i) early voting and mail-in ballots from those specified precincts being centrally tabulated during the day at City Hall; or (ii) mail/absentee ballots that arrive on time on Election Day, but too late to be sent to polling locations to be counted. Mail or absentee ballots that arrive on time at the Election Department, but too late to be sent to polling locations will be counted at City Hall on Election Night, starting after the voting lists from each precinct are returned. Election officials can count a ballot only after it has been confirmed that the voter did not already vote in person at their polling location.
Central Tabulation
Precincts with a large number of Early Voting ballots will be processed and counted at City Hall’s central tabulation facility. Like all polling places, the central tabulation facility, which will be located in the Iannella Chamber, is open to public observers. The Election Department will provide public notice of the precincts with early in-person and mail ballots being tabulated at the central tabulation facility.
Because poll workers need time to tally election results and transport materials from polling places to City Hall, counting of ballots submitted on time to the Election Department, but too late to be sent to the polls, may not begin until after 10:00 p.m. These ballots will be tallied by precinct and results will be updated on the city’s website periodically, as precincts are completed.
Media guidelines
Members of the media are reminded that certain rules must be followed in order to ensure a smooth voting process for voters:
- For b-roll on Election Day, the City advises visiting BCYF Roche Community Center, Lilla Frederick Pilot
- Middle School or Margarita Muniz Academy. Access can begin at 7a.m.
- The City of Boston Election Department will also be available for b-roll shots starting at 7:30 a.m.
- Interviews of voters are not allowed inside polling locations and must be done at least 150 feet away.
- Interviews with election staff and poll workers at the polling locations are not allowed.
- Photos and b-roll shots will be allowed under the supervision of each polling location’s warden.
- Photographers are reminded that zooming in on voter ballots and over-the-shoulder shots will not be allowed. Please respect every voter’s right to a private ballot.
- Unofficial results will be posted online at http://www.boston.gov after the polls close at 8:00 p.m. Updates will be provided periodically via the Facebook and Twitter account @BostonElections.
For more information about the State Primary, please visit boston.gov/elections or contact the Boston Election Department at 617-635-8683 or [email protected].
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
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