Governor’s Race Fails to Excite: Clerk Predicts Lower Turnout than in 2010

For Everett City Clerk Mike Matarazzo, the story in the upcoming Primary election in Everett, and around the state, is in how little interest there seems to be in the races at the top of the ticket, for Governor.

“In 2010, when (current Governor) Deval Patrick was running unopposed, we had a turnout of about 4,300 voters for the primary,” said Matarazzo. “I’m not seeing a turnout much higher than that this time and there are races in both parties for the Governor’s race.”

Matarazzo actually predicted, based on the level of voter interest and the number of absentee ballots that have been requested in the city that the September 9 primary would draw between 4,000 and 4,300 voters, which would be fewer voters than in the 2010 primary.

To set that figure, and the state of the current race, in proper perspective, Matarazzo also looked back at the voter turnout in 2006, when Patrick upset the pundits and won the Democratic gubernatorial primary, before going on to become the state’s first elected minority Governor.

In 2008, with three Democratic candidates in the race for Governor and two Republicans, just like this year, more than 6,400 Everett voters turned out for the Primary.

Based on the number of registered voters in Everett, approximately 19,400, that was still a low turnout but it was still 10-percentage points higher than what Matarazzo is expecting for this year.

“It’s just amazing to me that none of the candidates has seemed to generate any interest in the election,” said Matarazzo. “I do think the general election (in November) will draw more voters, because there are some people who only vote in the general election, and we have more than two months of campaigning (ahead of us).”

However, for now, it seems like no one in Everett is even paying attention to the Governor’s race.

“I hear lot more people talking about the State Rep. race, between (Incumbent Rep. Wayne) Matewsky and (City Councilor Joseph) McGonagle,” added Matarazzo.

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