Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Massachusetts state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 17
- Early voting: Oct. 22 - Nov. 2
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: No ID required generally
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
| 2018 Massachusetts General Court elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 6, 2018 |
| Primary | September 4, 2018 |
| 2018 elections | |
|---|---|
| Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Massachusetts State Senate and Massachusetts House of Representatives were on September 4, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in Massachusetts, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2018. In the state Senate, all 40 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 160 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Six state House Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.
- Kevin Kuros (Eighth Worcester District)
- Hannah Kane (Eleventh Worcester District)
- Susannah Whipps (Second Franklin District)[1]
- Kate Campanale (Seventeenth Worcester District)
- Geoff Diehl (Seventh Plymouth District)
- Keiko Orrall (Twelfth Bristol District)
Incumbents defeated
No incumbents were defeated in the 2018 primaries.
Competitiveness
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 200 | 23 | 340 | 43 | 6 | 12.3% | 18 | 10.2% |
| 2016 | 200 | 13 | 305 | 37 | 3 | 10.0% | 21 | 11.2% |
| 2014 | 200 | 21 | 343 | 35 | 12 | 11.8% | 15 | 8.4% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate as of September 2018:
Massachusetts House of Representatives
| Party | As of September 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 117 | |
| Republican Party | 34 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
| Vacancies | 7 | |
| Total | 160 | |
Massachusetts State Senate
| Party | As of September 2018 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 31 | |
| Republican Party | 7 | |
| Vacancies | 2 | |
| Total | 40 | |
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Massachusetts utilizes a semi-closed primary system. An unaffiliated voter is allowed to vote in the primary election of his or her choice.[2][3]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Massachusetts, most polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. However, municipalities may open their polls as early as 5:45 a.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[4]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Massachusetts, one must be a United States citizen, a resident of Massachusetts, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day.[5]
The deadline for registration is 10 days prior to the election. A voter can register online, by mail, or in person at any registration office or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. A form of identification is required to register. The following are acceptable forms of identification:[5]
- Valid driver's license
- State-issued identification card
- Current utility bill
- Bank statement
- Paystub
- Government-issued check
- Any other government document displaying the voter's name and address
Automatic registration
Massachusetts automatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles, division of medical assistance, health insurance connector authority, and other agencies that collect what state law defines as reliable citizenship information.[6]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Massachusetts has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[7]
Same-day registration
Massachusetts does not allow same-day voter registration.[7]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Massachusetts, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[5]
Verification of citizenship
Massachusetts does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, the penalty for an illegal registration is a "fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than five years or both."[8]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[9] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Elections and Voting page, run by the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Massachusetts does not require voters to present identification (ID) while voting, in most cases.[10]
However, voters will be asked to show ID in the following circumstances:
| “ | ” |
The following list of accepted ID was current as of August 2024:
- A driver's license
- A state ID card
- A recent utility bill
- A rent receipt or lease.
- A copy of a voter registration affidavit
- A letter from a school dormitory or housing office
- Any other printed identification which contains your name and address
| “ | Acceptable identification must include your name and the address at which you are registered to vote. Examples of acceptable identification include: a driver's license, state-issued ID card, recent utility bill, rent receipt, lease, a copy of a voter registration affidavit, or any other printed identification which contains the voter's name and address.[11] | ” |
Early voting
Massachusetts permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Any eligible voter has the option to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot in all elections.[12]
See also
- Massachusetts state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- Massachusetts House of Representatives elections, 2018
- Massachusetts State Senate elections, 2018
- Massachusetts State Legislature
- Massachusetts elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Whipps changed her party affiliation from Republican to independent in August 2017.
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "How to Vote in a Primary," accessed October 3, 2024
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "The Voting Process," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voter Registration Information," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ Governing, “Automatic Voter Registration Gains Bipartisan Momentum,” accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 26, 2024
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Official Mail-in Voter Registration Form," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Identification Requirements," accessed April 13, 2023
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Voting by Mail," accessed July 18, 2022
