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FRAMINGHAM – Friday, September 2, is the final day for early voting in the Massachusetts primary election. Election day is Tuesday, September 6, 2022 – the day after the Labor Day holiday.
Framingham City Hall will be open until 2 p.m. for early voting on Friday.
Through August less than 200 people had taken advantage of early voting in Framingham, said City Clerk Lisa Ferguson.
On Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28 just 30 voters went to the polls on each day. On Monday, August 29, 33 individuals voted. On Tuesday, August 30, 45 individuals voted. On Wednesday, 50 individuals voted, bringing the 5 day total to 188 voters.
As of August 27, there were 40,948 registered voters in the City, said Clerk Ferguson.
Turnout for early voting is 0.46 or less than one-half percent.
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Mail-in ballots are far more popular than early voting in the City of Framingham.
Through August 31, the City Clerk’s office in Framingham mailed out 8,106 ballots.
As of August 31, 4,291 have been returned, said Ferguson.
“We are asking that voters return their ballots as soon as possible to the City Clerk’s Office or one of the drop boxes located in the City. In order for the ballot to be counted, it has to be returned by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 6, 2022,” said Ferguson.
Drop boxes are at the Memorial Building and at the Christa McAuliffe Library branch on Water Street.
Besides numerous state-wide offices include Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, etc, Framingham voters also have a race for the 6th Middlesex District seat, which was newly-created by the legislature after the 2020 Census.
There are 3 Democrats on the ballot for that seat and no Republican names on the ballot for that seat for the September 6 ballot.
One of the 3 Democrats, Dhruba Sen announced he was pausing his campaign on August 22.
On the Democratic ballot is Sen, School Committee Chair Priscila Sousa and former City Councilor Margareth Shepard. (Click on each name to read a Q&A with the candidate SOURCE conducted in August)
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Framingham will have 4 state representatives come 2023, due to redistricting by the state legislature. The other 3 state representative seats are uncontested on the primary ballots.
That means that many voters in the City of Framingham have a new Precinct number, and some will be voting at a new location on September 6, if they chose to vote in person.
“The City Clerk’s Office has been working diligently in our efforts to inform Framingham voters of the precinct/district/polling location changes since last year. Each head of household received an annual census form in March with a tear-off indicating their new precinct/polling location. A paragraph on the changes was added to the Mayor’s letter that was included with the June and August tax bills. The Secretary of State, in conjunction with the City Clerk’s Office mailed postcards to each household confirming their polling location,” said Fergsuon.
In April, May and June City Clerk staff reached out to event planners to reserve booths at events for community outreach to Framingham voters.
The City Clerk said staff were at the following events.
June 15th – McAuliffe Public Library
June 25th – Coburnville-Tripoli Block Party
June 27th – Main Branch Public Library
July 23rd – Noche de Fiesta sponsored by the Framingham Public Library Foundation
July 28th – Callahan senior center
Aug. 3rd – Bowditch Fun Run
Aug. 5th – Concerts on the Common (rescheduled to Aug. 19th)
Aug. 17th – City Clerk Interview on Government Channel
And beginning August 15, the City Clerk’s office had “social media informational postings regarding elections, voter registration, polling locations, and early voting.”
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Ferguson said there will be “greeters at the polling locations to point the voters to their precincts/polling location.”
She said “voters may call the City Clerk’s Office at any time to check their party enrollment, precinct number and polling location. They may also go to the Secretary of State’s website to find this information and view their ballot: My Voter Registration Status: Search (state.ma.us)“
Polls will be open on Tuesday, September 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for those registered, who wish to vote in person
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