Vineyard voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the high-profile Presidential primary race that has riveted public attention for months.
Widely known as Super Tuesday, March 1 will see Presidential primaries or caucuses in 14 states, including Massachusetts. Polls are open in all Island towns from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots can be requested from town clerks until noon on Monday, Feb. 29.
Clerks on Martha’s Vineyard are reporting a spike in voter registration this year. Requests for absentee ballots are also up sharply.
For the first time, during this election cycle commonwealth residents had the option of registering to vote online. Computer desktop and mobile phone applications allow most people to register in a few minutes. Town clerks receive the registrations the following day.
“Because they advertised it on TV, and you could register on the internet, we’ve had a very large amount of people registering,” Edgartown town clerk Wanda Williams said this week. “So many people took the time to do it, a lot of young people.”
A total of 3,277 voters were registered in Edgartown by the Feb. 10 deadline, 149 more than were registered at the time of the annual town election last April.
In Tisbury, there are 3,333 registered voters, an increase of 177 over last year. Town clerk Hillary Conklin directly attributes the increase to heightened interest in the primary election.
“Absolutely. We’ve had a tremendous increase in registration,” Ms. Conklin said. “We’re way up on our absentee ballot applications.”
She too said online registration is attracting younger voters.
“Young people are really taking advantage of that,” Ms. Conklin said.
In Oak Bluffs there are 3,791 registered voters, an increase of 112 over last year. This week town clerk Laura Johnston was busy answering a surge in requests for absentee ballots.
“Absentee ballots, we have usually had 50, 100,” she said. “I’m at 170. It’s a totally different year.”
More people have registered to vote up-Island as well.
In West Tisbury, 2,503 voters are registered, up 124 from last spring. In Chilmark, 931 voters are registered, six more than last spring. In Aquinnah, there are 366 registered voters, seven more than last year.
It all adds up to 14,201 registered voters countywide, not including Gosnold, an increase of 575 over last year.
Four candidates appear on the Democratic ballot in Massachusetts: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, and real estate investor Roque (Rocky) De La Fuente. Mr. O’Malley suspended his campaign early this month following the Iowa caucuses, but his name still appears on the ballot.
The crowded Republican ballot in Massachusetts includes former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, real estate investor Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former New York Gov. George Pataki, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Mr. Pataki, Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Paul, Ms. Fiorina, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush have all withdrawn from the race.
Democratic and Republican ballots also include two slots for state committee (man and woman) and several slots for town committee for each party.
Green-Rainbow ballots will also be available for voters.
Polling places in Island towns are as follows: Aquinnah, old town hall; Chilmark, community center; Edgartown, town hall; Oak Bluffs, public library; Tisbury, emergency services building; West Tisbury, emergency services building.
The general election is Nov. 8.
Comments (13)
Comments
Comment policy »