Special Election: Senate Primary

Tuesday, November 8 is primary day in Massachusetts. So ... remember to vote!


This primary will determine which candidates will run for the US Senate seat that was held by Senator Ted Kennedy (held in the interim by Sen. Paul Kirk).

The Democratic candidates are:
Congressman Michael Capuano
Attorney General Martha Coakley
Alan Khazei
Steve Pagliuca

The Republican candidates are:
State Sen. Scott Brown
Jack E. Robinson



The winners of each party will face off in the special election on January 19, 2010.

For more information, please visit the Secretary of State's website.

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Boston Municipal Election on Tuesday

Tuesday, November 3 is election day in Boston.

On the ballot are positions for Mayor, City Councilors-at-Large and District City Councilors. Here is a list of candidates on the ballot.

The race that has garnered the most attention is for Mayor between 4-term Mayor Thomas Menino and City Councilor-at-Large Michael Flaherty. Based on the four way primary that whittled the candidates down to two, Menino should win this pretty easily. If, however, Flaherty gets the combined non-Menino votes from the primary then this election could be incredibly exciting.

Having the Boston municipal elections in an "off year" (no national or state-wide elections) allows these races to be the sole focus for voters, which is good. Historically though there has been low turnout that likely benefits incumbents, which could be bad. In any case, vote on Tuesday and have your say!

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Special Election Tuesday

This Tuesday is a special election for the 3rd Suffolk District State Representative. This primary election is to determine the final candidates that will vie to replace former House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi. Candidates include ...

Democrats:
Aaron Michlewitz
Susan M. Passoni
Lucy Rivera
Brian V. Ross

Republicans:
David Trumbull

To determine if you live in this district and are able to vote, check the state's website.

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Election on Sept 16

Tomorrow, September 16th, is Primary Day in Massachusetts.

To find out more information about who is on your ballot and where to vote, visit the MA Election Divisions webpage.

Massachusetts is not a state that allows you to register to vote on election day itself, so the deadline for registering for the primary was August 27th. If you are not registered, you are unfortunately out of luck. If you have moved since you last registered, you should still be able to vote at your old voting location.

And this also serves as an important reminder for those who are not registered to vote or have not updated their address with their local City Hall, that to vote in the general election in MA on November 4th, you must register by October 15th. The stakes are clearly high in this election - especially for President of the United States. And though you may feel your vote is not meaningful in the state of MA due to the Electoral College system that Presidential elections use, there is still tremendous value in voting. First, the President-elect might claim to have a 'mandate' if they win the popular vote (a la George W. Bush in 2004) even if that win is by the slimmest of margins. Casting your vote will help to support or diminish his/her ability to claim this. Second, there are always statewide and local races and ballot initiatives that impact issues like education, public transportation, Congressional (re)districting, and taxes. And lastly, having a large, well-informed electorate helps ensure that candidates will have to reach out to a broader audience rather than just focusing on the turnout of their 'base', which I think is a good thing.

I'm sure there's more reasons to vote ... feel free to add them through Comments.

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