Clerks: State Rep. winners won't be announced until Wednesday

Aug. 30—NEWBURYPORT — The four write-in candidates for state representative will need to wait until Wednesday morning to find out if they won Tuesday's primary election, according to local City Clerk Richard Jones.

Former state Rep. Jim Kelcourse stepped down from his seat in June and four candidates, Democrats Byron Lane and Dawne Shand, as well as two Republicans, Charles "C.J." Fitzwater and Samson Racioppi, are running write-in campaigns to replace him.

The Democrat and Republican primaries will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 6 and each candidate must receive at least 150 votes to qualify for the November state election ballot.

Since all four candidates are running write-in campaigns, Jones said he and his fellow clerks have agreed to hold off reporting the official results in that race until Wednesday morning.

"In Newburyport, we will release the results for all the other races that night," he said.

Jones also said voters will need to write the name and address of their candidate under the space below 'Representative in General Court."

"That throws a lot of people off but that is the space for state rep.," he said.

Jones and his fellow poll workers will be looking for voter intent, first and foremost when it comes to write-in ballots, and will not be critiquing handwriting, spelling or addresses.

"If we can discern the intent of the voter, we will count it," he said.

Salisbury Town Clerk Melinda Morrison had another way of putting it.

"If you are writing in Tom Brady, you could write his name or you could put 'TB12' or 'The GOAT' and we would understand," she said.

The intent of the voter can almost always be found on a completed ballot, according to Jones.

"If someone puts down, 'Sampson' instead of 'Samson' and they misspell Racioppi, we're going to count it anyways. Because that is the intent of the voter," he said. "Likewise, on the Democratic side. There is no name for 'Representative in General Court,' there is just a space that says 'Write-in Candidate.' So, that is where they write it in."

Kelcourse's name will also be on the Republican ballot but voters will be able to write in candidates below that.

"That is where you put the name and, if you can fit it, the address," Jones said.

Polls will be open in Newburyport from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents in Ward 1P (Plum Island) will cast their primary ballots at the Plum Island Boat House at 300 Northern Blvd and Ward 1 will use the People's United Methodist Church at 64 Purchase St.

Voting for Wards 3 and 4 will take place at the Hope Community Church at 11 Hale St. Wards 5 and 6 will vote at the Senior/Community Center at 331 High St., and, with the Brown School no longer available, Ward 2 will vote at the Newburyport Public Library at 94 State St.

"We will have signs at the Brown School telling people to come to the Newburyport Public Library," Jones said.

Jones added voters will not need to present identification at the polls unless it is their first time voting and unenrolled voters can choose either a Democrat or Republican ballot.

"The unrolled voters used to be called 'independents' and taking either a Republican or Democratic ballot does not place them in that party. They will remain unenrolled," he said.

Voting will take place in Salisbury at the Hilton Senior Center, 43 Lafayette Road, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, while voters in Amesbury will head to the high school gymnasium at 5 Highland St., during the same hours.

Amesbury City Clerk Amanda Haggstrom said Tuesday will also be the first day of class at the high school and voter parking will be limited to a special area.

"We will have parking signs up and a map which will be advertised on social media so voters will know where they should park," she said.

Merrimac Town Clerk Gwendolyn Lay Sabbagh said voting will take place in Merrimac, Tuesday at the Merrimac Public Library, 86 West Main St., from 7 a.m. — 8 p.m.

Early voting has also been taking place, statewide, since Saturday and turnout has been low, according to the local clerks.

"It's not heavy but it is a primary. So I expected that," Jones said.

Salisbury saw 16 early voters on Saturday, 16 voters on Monday and four voters on Tuesday, according to Morrison.

Lay Sabbagh said Merrimac recorded eight votes at Town Hall each day on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, while Amesbury saw roughly 40 voters come in to City Hall on Saturday, about 35 voters on Monday and 30 more on Tuesday, according to Haggstrom.

Early voting will end at the close of business, depending on the municipality, Friday morning or afternoon.

Lay Sabbagh said mail-in voting has been very busy in Merrimac.

"We have mailed out over 800 ballots and the response has been tremendous," she said.

Specimen ballots can be found at each of the polling places, as well as on the Secretary of State's website at: www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleidx.htm.

"Go to the website, see what precinct you are in and register to vote," Morrison said.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.