From the Town Clerk section of the Franklin Annual Report come the results of previous September primaries.
Year Totals
2004 1415
2006 3315
2008 1442
2010 2261
2012 4826
2014 2325
2016 871
2018 4013
2020 ???
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| Franklin (MA) voter totals for September Primary (2003-2018) |
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"The Secretary of State’s Office has already mailed out almost 950,000 ballots in advance of the Sept. 1 primary election, representing nearly a quarter of the state’s 4.5 million registered voters.
The estimate of ballots mailed so far comes as the United States Postal Service faces increased scrutiny over whether it will be able to deliver mail-in ballots on time for local clerks to count them. USPS officials set off an uproar in late July when they warned states that deadlines for requesting and casting mail-in ballots are incongruous with the Postal Services’ delivery standard.
But on Tuesday, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy issued a statement saying that he would suspend operational initiatives “that have been raised as areas of concern as the nation prepares to hold an election in the midst of a devastating pandemic” until after the election, to avoid the appearance of effects on electoral mail.
Secretary of State William Galvin said about 149,000 ballots have been returned to local clerks and he expects mail-in voting will help boost participation while taking into account public health guidelines. The state’s top election official said “a lot of people” who requested ballots were primarily motivated by voting in the November general election, adding that more than a million people asked for ballots for the general election."
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| Franklin voters can return their ballots at the Municipal Bldg |
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| Franklin voters: How to return your mail in ballot |
Beyond picking winners this fall, Massachusetts voters will be asked to consider something very meta: Should they change how they choose them?After centuries of residents picking one candidate per office, a question on November’s ballot proposes they instead rank their preferred choices in both primary and general elections for an array of elected seats. Should it pass, Massachusetts would have the second statewide — and most extensive — ranked-choice voting system in the country.Implementing the new system would mean the person who receives the most first-place votes in a race with several candidates could, in fact, lose. If there is no candidate with a majority of votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and his or her voters’ second and subsequent choices are re-distributed.
"Ranked-choice voting would be used only in races where a single candidate is to be declared the winner and not in races where more than one person is to be elected."
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| Ballot question 2 - ranked choice voting |
COUNCILLOR (Governor’s Council)
The Governor's Council is composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who serves ex officio. They provide advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments, pardons and commutations, and warrants for the state treasury.
For more information, go to https://www.mass.gov/orgs/governors-council
There are no candidates for the Republican, Libertarian or Green Rainbow parties
REGISTER OF PROBATE NORFOLK COUNTY
The register of probate administers the probate court, which primarily handles family legal matters (including divorce and child custody cases), and wills and estates. The register of probate provides the court's services and keeps the court's records.
For more information, go to https://www.mass.gov/locations/norfolk-probate-and-family-court
There are no candidates for the Republican, Libertarian or Green Rainbow parties
COUNTY TREASURER NORFOLK COUNTY
The County Treasurer is responsible for the collection, custody and management all money belonging to the County government, and disbursement of those funds according to law. The Treasurer is responsible for keeping financial records, including bills, vouchers, and documentation of borrowings and debt, to be accessible for future reference., and annually prepares and publishes a report of the County receipts and expenditures for the preceding fiscal year.
The Treasurer also acts as Chairman of the County Retirement Board.
The County Treasurer is an elected official serving a six-year term.
For more information, go to https://www.norfolkcounty.org/county-administration/treasurer
There are no candidates for the Republican, Libertarian or Green Rainbow parties
COUNTY COMMISSIONER NORFOLK COUNTY
The Norfolk County Commissioners' Office is charged with implementing policy, budget and other decisions of the elected board of Commissioners. The office's duties include personnel, purchasing, management information systems, and general administration. For more information, go to https://www.norfolkcounty.org/county-administration/commissioners-office
There are no candidates for the Republican, Libertarian or Green Rainbow parties
SHERIFF (VACANCY) NORFOLK COUNTY
The Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office serves the citizens of Norfolk County and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by enhancing public safety through the operation of a safe, secure, and humane correctional facility that establishes structure and accountability for offenders and focuses on re-entry programs and community based programs that promote crime prevention, citizen awareness, education, youth development, elderly assistance and law enforcement support.
For more information, go to https://www.norfolksheriff.com/
There are no candidates for the Libertarian or Green Rainbow parties
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| Other State Officials up for Election on Primary Ballot - Sep 1 |
Voting in primary elections is very important, yet voter turnout in primaries is usually low. (Embarrassingly so: in 2016 the Franklin primary turnout was only 4.1 % of the eligible voters.) But even conscientious voters probably think, “The real show is the general election. I’ll vote then. I know who I like. What’s the difference?”
One difference is that who you can vote for in the general election is not settled until the primary has occurred. If the people you like have primary challengers, of course, they must defeat the challengers to get on the general ballot. So they will need your help in both elections, not just the general.
And even if the ones you really like have no primary challengers, you may still be wise to vote in the primary. Remember, your favorites will not be alone on the general ballot. Many offices must be filled. Say you are a straight-ticket, one-party voter. You do not want to find yourself obliged to vote for people you dislike just because, on a thin plurality, they squeaked by the primary that you skipped.
And since primary turnouts are low, a few votes can make an outsized difference. Impact per voter is greatly magnified. And naturally, the bigger the field, the more crucial every primary vote is. There are nine contestants in the Fourth Congressional District, for example, for the one place for a Democratic candidate on the general ballot. If voter support were divided equally among the nine and turnout were at 2016 levels, then each candidate would have about 97 supporters in Franklin. In such a race, every primary vote really counts, and could decide who goes to Washington.
The primary is September 1. You can vote in person, vote early, or apply by August 26 to vote by mail.
Colin Cass
146 Longhill Road
Franklin, MA 02038
If you have interest in "Voices of Franklin" please read the guidelines here https://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/03/introducing-voices-of-franklin.html
From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:
"President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he opposes additional funding for the U.S. Postal Service, acknowledging that his position would starve the agency of money Democrats say it needs to process an anticipated surge in mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump also claimed anew — falsely — that Democrats were pushing for universal mail-in voting and predicted without providing evidence that mail-in voting would lead to massive voter fraud in the November election. Polls indicate Trump is in for a tough reelection fight against Democrat Joe Biden.
The Republican president said on Fox Business Network that among the big sticking points for a new congressional virus relief package were the Democrats’ demands for billions of dollars to assist states in protecting the election and to help postal workers process mail-in ballots.
“They need that money in order to have the post office work so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said on “Mornings with Maria,” adding, “If they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting because they’re not equipped to have it.”
Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required) https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200813/trump-opposes-postal-money-that-would-help-vote-by-mail?rssfeed=true
Editorial note: There is a work around for this attack on our democratic process. Apply for a mail-in ballot, when it arrives, rather than mailing it back, use the drive through drop off box at the Municipal Building to deliver it safely to the Town Clerk. Of course, if you choose to vote in person either with 'early voting' or on September 1 for the Primary, and November 3 for the election, that is also good.
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| "a clear admission that the president is attempting to restrict voting rights" |
US House Candidates
Our primary is September
1, but you can vote by mail now, take advantage of Early Voting beginning on
August 22, or vote in person on September 1. You also have until August 22 to
register to vote in this primary.
Remember – if you are enrolled
in a party you MUST vote in that party’s primary, but if you are unenrolled you
may choose which ballot you want.
Of particular note is
the race to represent us in the US House of Representatives. There are NINE candidates on the Democratic primary
ballot and TWO on the Republican Ballot.
There are no Libertarian or Green Party candidates.
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS - FOURTH DISTRICT
JAKE AUCHINCLOSS
Democrat https://www.jakeforma.com/
DAVID FRANKLIN CAVELL
Democrat https://www.davecavell.com/
BECKY GROSSMAN
Democrat https://beckygrossman.com/
JULIE A. HALL Republican http://hallforcongress.com/
ALAN A. KHAZEI Democrat https://alankhazei.com/
IHSSANE LECKEY Democrat https://ihssane.org/
NATALIA LINOS Democrat https://www.nataliaforcongress.com/
JESSE R. MERMELL Democrat https://jessemermell.com/
DAVID ROSA Republican https://www.davidrosaforcongress.com/
BENJAMIN R. SIGEL
Democrat https://bensigelforcongress.com/
CHRISTOPHER Z. ZANNETOS Democrat https://www.chriszforma.com/
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| US House Candidates - September 1 Primary |
General Election - November 3
Primary - Sep 1, 2020
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| 2020 Election Collection |
