Lynn City Clerk and Elections Chief Janet Rowe is predicting a good turnout for the State Primary on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Rowe said approximately 54,000 residents are eligible to vote in the election. Her staff has sent out 9,472 mail-in ballots and received 4,000 of those ballots. “Voters have until Sept. 1 to return their mail-in ballots,” said Rowe.
A total of 600 voters have cast absentee ballots for the election.
“In the last Primary Election in a Presidential Election year (2016), we only had an 11 percent turnout,” said Rowe. “But with the significant interest in the Ed Markey-Joe Kennedy U.S. Senate race [for the Democratic nomination], we’ll be getting a higher turnout than four years ago. That race has a lot of awareness in the city.
“I also think that people want to test out the mail-in voting as well because a lot of people have checked off both elections (Sept. 1 and Nov. 3) on their mail-in applications,” said Rowe.
Incumbent Congressman Seth Moulton is facing two challengers, Angus McQuilken and Jamie Belsito, in the Democratic Primary in the Sixth Congressional District. There is also a contest in the Governor’s Council race where incumbent Councilor Terrence Kennedy is being challenged by Helina Fontes.
Kevin O’Connor and Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai are vying for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate and the right to advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
Rowe said that eight poll locations in Lynn will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving the voters in all 28 precincts in the city.