With just under two weeks to go before the September 9 state primary election, Everett City Clerk Michael Matarazzo said this week that there has been little to no local chatter around City Hall about the upcoming election and even less activity with regard to absentee ballot requests.
“I’d have to go and check to see how many ballots have actually been requested, but at this point I think there have been fewer than 100 absentee ballots returned to City Hall,” said Matarazzo. “That along with the fact that I haven’t been hearing anything about the races makes me think this will be a pretty low turnout.”
Matarazzo predicted that turnout for the primary will be “around 4,000 to 4,300 voters,” which would represent just a 22-percent voter turnout on the high end (please see related story this page).
According to Matarazzo, the only buzz he has heard about the upcoming election has been related to the state representative race between incumbent Wayne Matewsky and challenger Joe McGonagle, both Democrats.
With no local Republicans seeking the seat, the winner of the September 9 primary will essentially win the election to represent Everett in the Massachusetts House.
Matewsky won a special election for the Democratic nomination for the seat in March, 2013, to replace disgraced State Representative Stephen “Stat” Smith. Matewsky emerged from a close primary battle in the five-way contest before breezing to victory in the special general election in April.
McGonagle was the runnerup in the special election primary, losing to Matewsky by just 51 votes. However, with a smaller field of candidates, both McGonagle and Matewsky will look to build their bases by appealing to voters who supported other candidates last year.
In addition to the local state representative race on Sept. 9, Everett voters will be asked to choose among Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General.