fb-pixel Skip to main content
Massachusetts primaries

See how Tuesday’s primary elections in Massachusetts unfolded

By Globe StaffUpdated September 6, 2022, 11:05 p.m.
One of the first people to vote at the Lincoln school in Brookline.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff

Attorney General Maura Healey, who rocketed to prominence as the state’s litigator-in-chief against Donald Trump before clearing the Democratic field for governor this year, officially captured the party’s nomination Tuesday, setting up an acrid general election fight with Geoff Diehl, a Trump acolyte whom GOP voters embraced as their gubernatorial nominee.

Plus, The Associated Press projected that Andrea Campbell won the Democratic primary for attorney general, Kevin Hayden won the Democratic primary for Suffolk district attorney, along with a number of of other results.

Here’s a look at how Tuesday’s contests unfolded.

Plus, see full results from races across Massachusetts.

Advertisement

 

September 6, 2022

 

Incumbent District Attorney Kevin Hayden projected to defeat Ricardo Arroyo, according to AP — 11:59 p.m.

By Danny McDonald, Globe Staff

Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden is projected to win the Democratic nomination to remain in office in Tuesday’s primary election, according to the Associated Press, defeating Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo in a contest laden with controversy in the weeks leading up to the vote.

By Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who parlayed decades of municipal experience and deep relationships with local officials into a strong victory, will join gubernatorial nominee Maura Healey leading the Democratic ticket after winning the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts lieutenant governor Tuesday night.

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

Geoff Diehl, the Trump-supported Republican set to face off against Maura Healey in the November election for governor, addressed his supporters on Tuesday night after securing his party’s nomination.

Diehl was projected as the winner of the Republican primary by the Associated Press Tuesday night.

“This is a race for the future of the Commonwealth,” Diehl said.

The Republican nominee said his campaign is focused on “freedom and prosperity,” whereas under Healey, Massachusetts would become more “expensive” and “restrictive.”

Diehl said he is aiming to stop Healey from bringing “radical policies to the governor’s office.”

AP: Geoff Diehl wins Republican primary for governor in Massachusetts

Maura Healey to face Geoff Diehl in November governor’s race, AP projects — 10:23 p.m.

By Matt Stout, Globe Staff

Advertisement

Attorney General Maura Healey, who rocketed to prominence as the state’s litigator-in-chief against Donald Trump before clearing the Democratic field for governor this year, officially captured the party’s nomination Tuesday, setting up an acrid general election fight with Geoff Diehl, a Trump acolyte whom GOP voters embraced as their gubernatorial nominee.

The results, projected by the Associated Press Tuesday night, cement the general election race to succeed Governor Charlie Baker, the state’s second-term Republican who is not seeking reelection.

By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff

Andrea Campbell is projected to defeat Shannon Liss-Riordan for the Democratic nomination for attorney general in Tuesday’s primary election, according to the Associated Press, likely putting the former Boston city councilor on track for the state’s top law enforcement post.

By Amanda Kaufman and Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

Attendees at an election night event in Salem for Kim Driscoll, one of the Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor, are arriving as they await the results of the contest.

The candidate who wins the primary will appear on the ticket alongside Maura Healey, whom The Associated Press projected as the winner of the Democratic primary for governor earlier Tuesday night

By about 10 p.m., Driscoll had a 44.6% to 37.2% lead over state Senator Eric Lesser in the primary with just under a quarter of precincts reported.

Bill Galvin wins Democratic race for secretary of state; Sullivan concedes — 9:46 p.m.

By Matt Stout, Globe Staff

Secretary of State William F. Galvin fought off his second primary challenge in as many election cycles, besting Tanisha M. Sullivan, the president of the NAACP’s Boston branch, to capture the Democratic nomination and inside track to becoming the longest-serving secretary in Massachusetts history.

Advertisement

Galvin, a seven-term Brighton Democrat and the state’s chief elections official, was projected as the winner by the Associated Press about an hour after polls closed. Sullivan, of Hyde Park, conceded in a statement shortly afterward.

By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff

Maura Healey addressed her supporters after The Associated Press projected she had clinched the Democratic nomination for governor, touting her accomplishments as attorney general and criticizing the Republican candidates.

“As your next governor, I promise you I will lead with my head and my heart,” Healey said. “I will work hard for all of you.”

Healey said that while the Republican nominee for governor has not yet been decided, he will “put politics over progress” and “oppose abortion rights.”

“They’ll bring Trumpism to Massachusetts,” Healey said.

AP: Maura Healey wins Democratic nomination for governor
Attorney General Maura Healey officially captured the party’s nomination Tuesday, setting up an acrid general election fight with Geoff Diehl.

Maura Healey wins primary victory in Massachusetts governor’s race, AP predicts — 8:45 p.m.

By Matt Stout, Globe Staff

Attorney General Maura Healey, who rocketed to prominence as the state’s litigator-in-chief against Donald Trump before clearing the Democratic field for governor this year, officially captured her party’s nomination Tuesday night, according to an Associated Press projection, setting up a likely acrid general election fight against one of two Republican opponents.

The AP called the Democratic race for Healey at 8:36 p.m. She had no active primary opponent.

Polls have closed in primary elections across Mass. Follow live results. — 8:00 p.m.

Polls have now closed in primary races across Massachusetts, and we’re tracking results for each race.

By Daniel Kool, Globe Correspondent

As he walked into Roxbury’s Yawkey Club polling site around 6:15 p.m., neighborhood-native Hurschel Langham, 58, said he was not sure who would get his vote in the five-way race for District 2 state Senator.

Advertisement

“I know who I’m not voting for,” the 58-year-old said. “I’m not voting for Diane Wilkerson.”

Langham said Wilkerson’s campaign was tainted by her history of bribery in office. Last time she served as a senator, more than a decade ago, a video surfaced of Wilkerson stuffing cash into her bra.

“Are you telling me a lot of what you did for this community is because you made back-door deals?” Langham said. “I don’t care what’s on the table, that should never be the case.”

Langham said “it’s hard to vote,” knowing that a given candidate’s platform during the campaign may be undermined by politics once they get into office. He said backtracking leaves voters feeling abandoned and partially-fulfilled promises are not enough.

“When you mop the floor, you can’t just put the water down there and let it do the work,” Langham said. “You’ve got to put the water down there heavy and then take it all back up.”

Just as Langham stepped inside to cast his vote, a truck plastered with signs – and blasting speakers – pulled into the parking lot, urging people to vote for Wilkerson.

By Daniel Kool, Globe Correspondent

Roxbury’s Yawkey Club polling station saw a slight bump in attendance just before 5 p.m. A half-hour earlier, there were more kids lining up for after-school programs than adults lining up to cast their ballot.

Advertisement

Karl Payne, a 66-year-old Democrat from Roxbury who was forced into retirement by the pandemic, said he has not missed an election since 1980, when Ronald Reagan swept the polls.

“That was a nightmare for me, personally, as well as a lot of people in the country,” Payne said. “So, I make it my business to vote each time.”

But he said this year’s race for Suffolk District Attorney – in which both campaigns have been rocked by public controversy – was below the office. “The whole thing seems unseemly,” Payne said.

He said the race left voters choosing between which was worse: “accusations of sexual abuse” or “someone leaking the information that was unfounded.”

In the end, he went with Kevin Hayden, who currently holds the seat as interim Suffolk district attorney.

“He’s the incumbent,” Payne said, “so, I stuck with what works.”

When asked about whether Hayden’s handling of an alleged coverup by Transit Police officers factored into his decision-making, Payne said he did not know about the case but believed it would not have changed his mind.

“Once again, the whole process seemed kind of unseemly,” Payne said. “So, it’s just a matter of pick or choose.”

Voters trickle in to vote in Jamaica Plain despite rain — 6:02 p.m.

By Dan Adams, Globe Staff

By 5 p.m. in Jamaica Plain, a slow trickle of voters had turned into a steady stream, despite pouring rain.

Katie Bayerl, an author and communications consultant who has lived in the neighborhood for 22 years, said some of the choices on this year’s primary ballot were easy. For her, that included voting for current state representative Nika Elugardo to succeed Sonia Chang-Díaz as the area’s state senator.

“That one was a no-brainer,” she said. “She’s been my rep for several years and I’m aligned with her across the board. I’m so impressed by the way she shows up to every [community] Zoom call and the way she’s out there on every issue.”

Like many voters, however, Bayerl agonized over her decision in the race for Suffolk County district attorney, saying she felt compelled to extensively research the sexual assault allegations against Arroyo.

“It was really tough,” Bayerl said. “I was never going to vote for Hayden, but I seriously considered leaving that one blank.”

Ultimately, she decided to vote for Arroyo. Hayden’s policies would perpetuate racially disproportionate criminal justice outcomes, she reasoned, while the allegations against Arroyo did not rise to the level of criminal conduct, in her opinion.

“His statements about abuse right now suggest that where he is as an adult is different than where he was, potentially, as a young person,” Bayerl said. “But if there was a third candidate in the race who was progressive, I absolutely would have supported that person instead.”

Voter Marsha Burley, a resident of Jamaica Plain since 1969, also did extensive research on the scandals surrounding both candidates in the district attorney race. However, she came to the opposite conclusion, saying that some of the allegations against Arroyo appeared true whether or not his actions were criminal, whereas Hayden still has a chance to redeem himself after questions were raised about his handling of a Transit Police coverup case.

“I voted for Hayden because he has a lot more experience and because the [Transit Police] case that was raised is still open,” Burley said. “And you can’t ignore the charges against Arroyo. One woman was very emphatic that it happened, and just because the police reports say it was ‘unfounded’ doesn’t mean it didn’t occur.”

“I’m sorry that there ended up being this kind of messiness,” she added, “but politics is a messy game.”

‘If you care, you’ve got to vote,’ Mattapan resident says — 5:46 p.m.

By Katie Mogg, Globe correspondent

Walter Apperwhite, a Mattapan resident, said he votes in every election no matter rain or shine, and hopes other Bostonians will do the same.

“If you care, you’ve got to vote,” Apperwhite said. “If you’re not willing to stand in line to decide your future, it’ll be decided by somebody else.”

Apperwhite said the issues most driving him to cast his vote are city congestion and lack of housing. He said the quaint and beautiful neighborhoods of Boston are being replaced by overcrowded boroughs. Apperwhite, who cast his vote at Morning Star Church in Mattapan, said he voted for politicians he believes will best fight for him and his people.

Wu suggested Bostonians should have a say in a design for ‘I voted’ stickers — 4:27 p.m.

By Spencer Buell, Globe Staff

As they have for many years now, Boston voters who filed into their polling places Tuesday walked out with a keepsake, a portable way to announce that they, too, had performed their civic duty: an “I Voted” sticker.

The decals, which include the two words in blue lettering next to a Clip Art-style image of a waving American flag, are a staple of any Election Day, and their layout is as simple as it is iconic.

But what if they’re a little too simple? Perhaps it’s time for an upgrade.

By Daniel Kool, Globe Correspondent

Sixty-nine-year-old Ms. Milton, a Roxbury Democrat who asked that her first name not be published, arrived at the Higginson-Lewis K-8 school to cast her ballot mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Milton said she knew some of the candidates personally through her church, including Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, who she said she was leaning toward.

“I’ve known his boys since they were this big,” Milton said, holding her hand waist-level.

She did not comment on controversies surrounding Hayden or his opponent, Ricardo Arroyo, but said she wanted to see new leadership in Boston. Arroyo’s father, Felix D. Arroyo, was a Boston city councilor from 2010 to 2014.

“That’s an old family name,” Milton said. “Not that they haven’t been doing anything, but just give someone else a chance.”

A poll worker at the Higginson-Lewis site said turnout was lower than expected – likely due to the rain, she said. By 2:15 p.m., about 400 voters had cast ballots. But she said she expected a crowd after the workday ended.

By Dan Adams, Globe Staff

At the Curley K-8 school in Jamaica Plain, where voters from three different Ward 19 precincts cast ballots, election workers said turnout was steadily rising as the afternoon wore on.

As of 3 p.m., nearly 120 people in Precinct 1 had voted in person, election officials said. Meanwhile, 175 of the 900 or so voters in Precinct 3 had taken advantage of the option to vote early, according to poll worker Bruce Ecker, who said he expected most in-person voters would arrive after the workday ended.

There appeared to be some confusion among voters about the early voting system: Several people attempted to submit sealed, completed ballots at the Curley school, unaware that they must be brought to separate drop-off sites.

By Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

Voters in Barnstable will be able to cast their ballots until midnight Tuesday after the clerk’s vault containing ballots was stuck shut for most of the morning.

The town’s 12 polling places — which were supposed to open at 7 a.m. — delayed opening while emergency crews worked to open the vault. Eventually, voters were able to cast their votes using paper ballots, which are identical to the machine-readable ballots, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office. The paper ballots, however, must be hand counted after polls close at 8 p.m.

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

Justin Frey, a Dorchester resident who works in transportation, said improving the MBTA and roads motivated him most to vote in the state primary at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester.

For him, the choice between Ricardo Arroyo and Kevin Hayden in the race for Suffolk district attorney was an easy one.

“Arroyo blatantly lied so he didn’t get my vote, although he was going to,” said Frey, 51. A Globe investigation found Arroyo was twice investigated, but never charged, for sexual assault while in high school. Arroyo said he was never informed he was being investigated, a claim contradicted by documents the Globe obtained.

The only other politician that Frey was enthusiastic to support was Andrea Campbell in the race for attorney general.

“I supported her during her last race and was very disappointed she didn’t win,” he said. “I like her. She seems honest and believes in a lot of the same stuff I do.”

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

Andrea Eversley proudly walked out of the polling location at Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School with her dog Mars because to her, civic engagement is important.

“As a young, African American woman, it’s very important to come out and exercise that right to vote,” said Eversley, a Dorchester resident.

Eversley was mainly motivated to cast her vote in order to support her neighbor Christopher Worrell, who’s running for state representative. And although she said she wasn’t entirely familiar with the controversies surrounding both Ricardo Arroyo and Kevin Hayden in the race for Suffolk district attorney, she knew she couldn’t support someone associated with sexual assault.

“Even though the allegations against Arroyo may have been a long time ago … I don’t believe women make things up that are like that,” she said. “I will err on the side of believing the woman. … At least Hayden has a little bit of experience [as district attorney].”

By Dan Adams, Globe Staff

Outside the Bowditch School building in Jamaica Plain, several voters said the race for Suffolk County district attorney presented an especially agonizing decision, with both candidates mired in ugly scandals.

“It was an awkward and unsatisfying choice,” said 69-year-old Joe Orfant, a consultant and former state and city conservation official who has lived in Jamaica Plain for 34 years. “But I voted for [Ricardo] Arroyo — the allegations against him felt a little like the guy was being railroaded, and I thought the way [current District Attorney Kevin] Hayden handled it most recently was kind of cheesy.”

Arroyo has lost several big-name endorsements in the race after a Globe investigation revealed he was twice investigated, but never charged, for sexual assault while in high school. Hayden also came under fire after a Globe investigation raised questions into his office’s handling of a police coverup case.

In the five-way race for an open state Senate seat being vacated by Sonia Chang-Díaz, Orfant cast his ballot for the Rev. Miniard Culpepper, saying the longtime community leader impressed him with his stance on housing issues.

By Alexander Thompson, Globe Correspondent

Voting at the Franklin D. Roosevelt K-8 School in Hyde Park Tuesday afternoon, Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, running against incumbent Kevin Hayden for Suffolk County District Attorney, called the campaign “one of the roughest” he had ever seen.

Arroyo’s campaign has been marred in recent weeks by revelations by The Globe that he had been twice investigated, but never charged, with sexual assault when he was in high school.

At the same time, Hayden has come under fire after a Globe report raised questions into whether his office tried to squash an investigation into a police coverup case. The allegations surround an April 2021 traffic dispute in which an off-duty MBTA Transit Police officer allegedly pointed his gun at a man, summoned other officers to pull the man over so he could issue him a citation, then tried to cover it up.

Arroyo said Tuesday that he had used Labor Day weekend to refocus the campaign on policy issues, but acknowledged that the allegations against him, which he has denied, may weigh on voters’ minds.

“The person who stands before [voters] today is certainly not a junior in high school and is somebody who is trying very hard to move our justice system forward,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo reiterated his calls for an independent investigation into the leak of the police files related to the sexual assault allegations, and said that he still intends, win or lose, to file an ethics complaint.

Sexual assault complainants should have “full faith” that their files will not be illegally leaked for political purposes, Arroyo said, firing back at the Hayden campaign’s argument that complainants wouldn’t trust Arroyo as district attorney.

In the wake of the revelations several of Arroyo’s high-profile backers, including US Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, withdrew their support. However, over the weekend, Suffolk county residents posted photos of mailers they received from Arroyo’s campaign on social media that continued to tout those endorsements.

On Tuesday, Arroyo said that the mailers had already been submitted to the Post Office when the endorsements were rescinded.

“Our apologies to the folks whose faces were on those, but there was no way to stop them once they became, essentially, property of the US postal service,” he said.

Arroyo said he wasn’t totally confident of what the results would be on Tuesday night.

“Confidence is a tough word,” he said. “I think we’re good.”

By Dan Adams, Globe Staff

In Jamaica Plain, a small handful of voters filed in and out of the former Bowditch School building on Green Street amid a light drizzle. Election warden Ellen Hilly, who has helped oversee voting in the neighborhood for nearly 40 years, said turnout at the polling location as of the early afternoon was unusually low.

“I don’t necessarily think [turnout] is depressed this year, I just think we have a lot of people taking advantage of early voting,” she said. “And the rain doesn’t help either.”

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

Carmen Jones, a homemaker from Dorchester who planned to vote later today, said her experiences as a mother and sexual assault survivor would inform her vote for Suffolk district attorney. She said choosing between Ricardo Arroyo, who is facing years-old sexual assault allegations, and interim Suffolk DA Kevin R. Hayden felt like deciding between the lesser of two evils.

“It’s awful that this is what we have to choose from,” said Jones, 35.

Questions around Hayden’s handling of a police coverup case following a traffic spat in Mattapan instilled fear in Jones, who is a mother to a tall, Black teenager. She said she feared electing Hayden as district attorney would give him the power to further perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black people, while increasing the chances of police brutality and violence, putting people like her son at risk.

Jones said she worried Hayden’s election could mean “more bloodshed in the streets and coverups for that bloodshed.”

“By no means am I making light of a rapist,” she said. “Some of us die inside, but we have the chance to live on.”

By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff

At Ayer Town Hall, 721 ballots had been tallied as of 12:30 p.m., approximately 500 of which were early, mail-in, or absentee ballots, according to town Clerk Susan Copeland.

“I’m actually surprised with the in-person turnout today, especially considering the rain,” Copeland said. “It’s actually been rather steady…steadier than I thought it was going to be. So I’m actually pleasantly surprised, considering the pouring rain.”

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

Nayo Sanford, a ward clerk at Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester, said the turnout for the state primary election has been slow throughout the morning and afternoon. She expected more voters to arrive after the work day ended.

Sanford, a Dorchester resident, said she thinks the weather and voter interest has impeded the turnout. The rainy day has led to more voters casting their vote from home, while little interest in the election may stop residents from voting at all.

“I remember when [Barack] Obama ran for office it was cold and the weather was not its best, but people were wrapped around the corner. Everybody had invested interest,” said Sanford, 77. “Today [voters] may not be as interested, unfortunately, with today’s political climate.”

By Deanna Pan, Globe Staff

Poll workers vastly outnumbered voters in the East Boston High School gymnasium Tuesday morning. By 12:30 p.m., just over 500 votes, including early and absentee ballots, had been tallied.

”Very slow today,” said poll worker Elaine Leete. “I think we’re gonna be below what we normally process.”

Disc jockey Chris DiFiore, 62, brought his 7-year-old yorkie-chihuahua mix, Muchie, with him to vote. A lifelong resident of Eastie, DiFiore said he was excited to cast his ballot for Maura Healey in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and Andrea Campbell for attorney general.

”I like to get some new blood in there,” DiFiore said. “Get some new ideas.”

Despite being a Democrat, DiFiore praised Republican Governor Charlie Baker’s performance, and said he hoped the next governor would be “as good as him.”

By Deanna Pan, Globe Staff

By 10:30 a.m., fewer than 150 Chelsea residents had cast their ballots at Williams Junior High School.

“This is awful turnout,” said Andrew Zaroda, warden of the Ward 1 polling place, about the numbers.

He blamed the rain and recent holiday for the poor showing.

“I think a lot of people forget about the primary,” he added.

Coworkers Cass Valencia and Victor Rodriguez, of Western Front Cannabis Dispensary, said they braved gloomy weather to vote for Chelsea City Councilor Leo Robinson for state representative. Both said Robinson had served as a mentor of theirs and was supportive of their work at the dispensary.

“He actually kept me in college,” lifelong Chelsea resident Rodriguez, 24, said. “I just think Leo has great experience. Everything he’s ever done has been for Chelsea.”

By Deanna Pan, Globe Staff

Voters slowly trickled into the Revere High School gymnasium Tuesday morning. By 10 a.m., nearly 350 votes had been cast, but the vast majority of those were early and absentee ballots, according to poll workers.

Erika Morton, 43, a photographer, was among the few who were eager to vote in person.

”We need to get [Kevin] Hayden out,” she said of the Democratic incumbent in the heated Suffolk County race for district attorney. “I was like, ‘I’m getting married Saturday, but nope, I need to be here.’”

Morton said she disagreed with Hayden’s record and felt his opponent, Ricardo Arroyo, has fresher ideas for making the community safer.

”I’m not a minority in any way, shape or form, but I feel, listening to the minority community, this [race] was very important,” she said. ”It’s 2022. We can be better. We can be supportive of our communities, [Hayden] doesn’t get that. … I feel like his choices are ‘more cops, more guns.’ That’s not the way to help our people.”

Although Morton voted for Arroyo, the sexual assault allegations against him gave her pause. (Arroyo was never charged and has denied assaulting by anyone.)

”It’s getting impossible to vote for, honestly, a good candidate these days,” she said with a sigh. “At some point, you have make a decision.”

By Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

All 12 polling stations in Barnstable re-opened to voters Tuesday at around 11 a.m. after facing delays related to mechanical issues involving the clerk’s vault, according to the town of Barnstable.

The vault, which is used to store ballots, was stuck closed Tuesday morning, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office. As a result, the clerk couldn’t access ballots to send to polling places.

For the time being, voters are able to cast their votes using paper ballots, which are identical to the machine-readable ballots, Galvin’s office said, but must be hand counted after polls close at 8 p.m.

Given the delay, Galvin is seeking a court order to extend polling hours in Barnstable, a spokeswoman said. Ultimately, it will be up to a judge to decide what time the polls will close.

Boston City Hall polls see little turnout amidst rainy weather — 11:35 a.m.

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

The polling location at Boston City Hall was barren around 10 a.m. as few residents entered to cast their vote on a rainy Election Day. Some passers-by surrounding the building said they were only visiting the city and not participating in the election.

One man, who wanted to remain anonymous, stood outside a voter entrance with signs encouraging any straggling Bostonians to cast their vote for Kevin R. Hayden for Suffolk district attorney following years-old sexual assault allegations against his contender, Ricardo Arroyo.

A City Hall security guard said many voters choose to mail in their vote, which could explain the sparse voter turnout at the polling location. Some voters showed up with their umbrellas just to leave their vote in the ballot drop box.

Westford voter says polls remain slow, but mail ballots will help turnout — 11:20 a.m.

By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff

Bradley Wood, 37, of Westford, came out in the rain to his precinct polling place at Westford Academy Tuesday morning to cast his votes in the Democratic primary.

Wood said he was most concerned about the Congressional race between US Representative Lori Trahan and former Republican state Senator Dean Tran.

”I mean, the only contested race I’m worried about is actually in the general, like someone’s challenging Lori Trahan’s seat,” he said. “I think Trahan’s the much smarter candidate. But the governor’s race is wide open.”

Wood said the polls weren’t very busy when he was inside Westford Academy. “The weather kind of stinks today, and I think most people would either come out early or late, because it’s a workday,” he said.

Although there wasn’t much foot traffic while he cast his votes at the polls, Wood said he believes the mail-in voting option will help the overall turnout.

“Because Massachusetts has kind of been like, just vote however you can, I think it will increase turnout,” he said, “which is good.”

Barnstable voters to use paper ballots while vault remains closed — 10:00 a.m.

By Samantha J. Gross, Globe Staff

Voters in Barnstable faced delays Tuesday morning as the town worked through mechanical issues involving the clerk’s vault.

The vault, which is used to store ballots, was stuck closed, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office. As a result, the clerk couldn’t access ballots to send to polling places.

According to the spokeswoman, Galvin was “exploring all options to ensure that everyone [in] Barnstable [will] be able to vote today.”

As of 8:30 a.m., the mechanical issues with the town’s vault had not been resolved, and the Barnstable clerk was in the process of printing emergency paper ballots for voters to use. The paper ballots are identical to the machine-readable ballots, Galvin’s office said, but must be hand counted after polls close at 8 p.m.

At around 10 a.m., the ballots were in the process of being delivered to all 12 polling locations in Barnstable.

Given the delay this has caused, Galvin will seek a court order to extend polling hours in Barnstable, a spokeswoman said. Ultimately, it will be up to a judge to decide what time the polls will close.

Massachusetts GOP voters size up Trump loyalist for governor — 9:30 a.m.

By The Associated Press

Massachusetts Republicans are weighing which candidate has the best chance of keeping the governor’s office in GOP hands as they vote in Tuesday’s primary: a former state lawmaker endorsed by Donald Trump or a political newcomer who’s cast himself as the more moderate choice.

Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty are vying for the chance to replace incumbent Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who’s opted not to seek a third term.

By Leah Becerra, Globe Staff

The official Twitter account of the Massachusetts Elections Division published a notice just after 7 a.m. saying the opening of the polls in Barnstable has been delayed.

In a follow-up tweet, the account said, “The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office is exploring all options available to make sure everyone in Barnstable is able to vote today. This may include seeking an order to extend the closing of the polls in Barnstable, if necessary.”

The office said in a separate statement, “Emergency workers on scene at town clerk’s office and are working to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.”

The town of Barnstable has close to 50,000 residents, and 35,568 of them are registered to vote, according to the secretary of state’s office. The town has seven villages: Hyannis, Centerville, Osterville, Marstons Mills, Cotuit, Barnstable Village, and West Barnstable.

A sleepy statewide election has morphed into an unsettled event — 6:30 a.m.

By Matt Stout, Globe Staff

Yes, Democrat Maura Healey has no active opponent in her gubernatorial primary. But there’s little sense of who might emerge from a three-way race to be her running mate. And in Suffolk County, voters are also trying to wade through a contentious Democratic primary between Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden and his challenger, Boston city Councilor Ricardo Arroyo.

Even the Republican gubernatorial primary has not been immune from September surprises. Conservative radio host Howie Carr’s decision to back Chris Doughty and turn on Geoff Diehl, a longtime ally and fellow Donald Trump supporter, potentially portends a still-shifting race. Trump himself then waded into the primary Monday, joining a telephone rally in support of Diehl who — projecting confidence — released a slate of campaign events for after the primary.

On top of that, the portion of the secretary of state’s website where people can look up their polling location has been unusually active, William Galvin said. On the Friday before the 2018 primary, 4,000 people visited the page. Last Friday, he said, 20,000 did.

By Globe Staff

The races for key statewide offices in Massachusetts are underway, and the Globe is here to help you navigate the ballot.

Here, find information about each statewide candidate for office, learn more about mail-in voting, and find out who to call with questions about your ballot or the voting process.

By Katie Mogg, Globe Correspondent

Massachusetts residents have a chance to fulfill their civic duty and cast their ballot in the state primary election Sept. 6.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. Here’s how to vote in person.

Lieutenant governor primaries

Attorney general race Democratic primary

Suffolk district attorney Democratic primary

Secretary of state race Democratic primary

State auditor race Democratic primary