Turnout of 700,000 expected for Democratic primary
Voters go to the polls today to help decide whether home state US Senator John F. Kerry or one of his three rivals should be the Democratic nominee for president this fall.
In several communities west of Boston, voters will also select a new state senator to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Cheryl A. Jacques.
Secretary of State William F. Galvin, the chief elections officer, predicted a 25 percent turnout, estimating that 700,000 residents will vote in the Democratic primary and 200,000 in the Republican primary. The estimated 700,000 for today's Democratic primary is slightly less than the turnout in the 1988 Democratic presidential primary when then-governor Michael S. Dukakis was on the ballot.
Today's weather is expected to be cloudy, with highs in the mid-50s and lows in the low 40s with a chance of scattered showers increasing in the afternoon, according to Charles Foley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Taunton.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find their polling place by visiting www.state.
ma.us/sec/ele. Galvin said independent voters can participate in either party's primary today by requesting a ballot at their polling places. They would then become members of that party temporarily; cards are available at polling places for them to return to unenrolled status once they have cast their ballots, Galvin said.
Today's ballot will list 10 Democratic presidential candidates, even though several have dropped out since the ballots were printed. Kerry is one of four remaining Democratic candidates, along with Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, Ohio Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, and the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Voters in several communities west of Boston will also choose between Republican state Representative Scott P. Brown and Democrat Angus McQuilken in the special Senate election.
The Democrat-controlled state Senate set the special election for today in the hope of enhancing McQuilken's bid in a district where Governor Mitt Romney is popular and has recently campaigned for Brown.
In addition to the primary and special Senate contests, six communities have local ballot questions, Galvin said. They are Concord, Leominster, Lexington, Reading, Sharon, and Wales. Galvin said his office has received 25,000 requests for absentee ballots for the presidential primary, including one from Kerry, who voted while he was on a plane Saturday. The state has also received more than 1,000 absentee requests for the special Senate election. "That tells me that the level of interest is much more intense in the senatorial district," Galvin said.
The state Senate district up for grabs includes Millis, Needham, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainville, Sherborn, Wayland, Wrentham, and parts of Attleboro, Franklin, Natick, and Wellesley. Jacques left the position to work for an advocacy group in Washington.
Massachusetts has 93 delegates at stake. Eight other states will hold presidential primaries today, which is dubbed "Super Tuesday." The states are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Minnesota will also hold a caucus.
