The presidential primaries are coming to Massachusetts on March 5th, giving voters a once-in-four-years chance to elect their party’s nominee for the highest office in the country.
Here’s everything you need to know about voting in Brookline.
How do I register?
If you’re not already registered to vote, you can do so with the town of Brookline either online, by mail or in person at Town Hall. Click here for more information. The deadline to register to vote in the presidential primaries is Feb. 24.
Who’s on the ballot?
Because the primary is a partisan election, voters have to cast ballots for a specific party. If they are enrolled as a Democrat, Republican or Libertarian, they will vote on that party’s ballot. Unenrolled voters (also sometimes called “independent” voters) can choose any of the three.
See sample Brookline ballots for the three parties here.
In this election, voters will be voting for four positions. The first and highest profile is, of course, the nominee for president. Voters will choose one of the candidates as their party’s nominee in the November general election.
But there are other positions on the ballot too, for state and town party committees. These committees work on behalf of their party to promote its goals and get its candidates elected.
Voters will vote for one man and one woman to be on the state party committees, and can choose up to 35 members for the town committee.
How do I vote?
There are a number of ways to vote in the primaries. You can go to your polling place on election day, March 5, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., or you can vote early in-person, from Saturday, February 24 through Friday, March 1.
(You can find information about your precinct and polling place here and see the full schedule and locations for early voting by clicking here.)
You can also vote by mail. Voters who wish to do so have to submit an application to the town by Feb 27. You can find more information, including how to apply for a mailed ballot online, by clicking here.
Mailed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on election day, March 5, to be counted.
To meet that deadline, Town Clerk Ben Kaufman recommends depositing mailed ballots in one of three drop boxes that the town has put in place at the Coolidge Corner Library, the Putterham Library, and Town Hall.
If you want to use a mail-in ballot, the Post Office recommends mailing ballots at least one week before election day.
Voters can track their mailed ballot online at trackmyballotma.com.
Where can I find the results?
Various news outlets will be reporting the results of the Massachusetts primaries on Tuesday, March 5. For Brookline specific results, check our website and make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter. Brookline.News will be posting the results as soon as they’re made available by the clerk’s office.