Record Number Of Ballots Cast In Mass. Primary

A fierce Senate Democratic contest helped spur a record number of Massachusetts voters to cast ballots in last week’s primary, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said Wednesday.

There were more than 1.7 million ballots cast in the election — besting the previous record set during the 1990 state primaries when more than 1.5 million were cast.

The vast majority of last week's ballots — more than 1.4 million — came from Democrats who helped decide an increasingly divisive primary battle between incumbent U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and challenger, U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III.

Markey defeated Kennedy and will go on to face Republican Kevin O'Connor in the general election.

Another closely watched race was a crowded Democratic primary for Kennedy’s open 4th Congressional District seat, which was won by Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss. He will face Republican Julie Hall in the general election.

There were more than 272,000 ballots cast in the Republican primary.

The election marked the first time the state expanded voting options in a primary to include no excuse mail-in ballots, early in-person voting and drop boxes in addition to traditional in-person voting on primary day.

Election Day is Nov. 3.