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Five things to know for the March 5 presidential primary

Bryan McGonigle

Newton's 2023 municipal election ushered in new faces to the 24-member City Council. Photo by Burton Glass

It’s time for Massachusetts voters to choose nominees for president in the 2024 election cycle.

Massachusetts is one of 17 states holding primaries on March 5, also known as Super Tuesday because it’s the day when the most convention delegates are awarded. If someone pulls way ahead in their primary races on Super Tuesday, it’s a good indication that they’ll secure the nomination (except in 2008, when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both won big on Super Tuesday and battled for the nomination until that May).

Here are five things to know in Newton for the primary.

1. Who can vote?

Any registered voter can vote in Massachusetts primaries.

Anyone registered as a member of a party, however, isn’t allowed to vote in another party’s primary. So registered Democrats get Democratic ballots and Republicans get Republican ballots. If someone wants to switch their party (or switch to unenrolled) to vote in the primary must do so at least 10 days before the primary.

Unenrolled (typically called “independent”) voters are allowed to vote in any party primary.

Voters of all parties should check their registration status on the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s website.

2. Where and when?

The primary will be Tuesday, March 5, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Polling places are all around the city and are specific to neighborhoods and addresses. Newton’s city website has a complete map of the city’s wards and precincts as well as a page where residents can enter their address and find their exact polling place for Election Day.

3. How about early voting?

Massachusetts allows early voting for primaries, so voters who don’t want to wait until Super Tuesday to cast their ballots can do so during designated hours at City Hall or by mail.

Early voting days and hours are:

4. What’s a ward committee?

In a primary, voters of each party pick members of ward committees. Similar to town committees, ward committees represent their parties at the local level, help nominate party candidates and work in their communities to promote their parties’ ideas and agendas.

Towns elect their party committees townwide, while cities like Newton elect them from designated wards.

5. Who’s on the ballots?

On the Democratic ballot, President Joe Biden is running for a second term. Also on the Democratic ballot are Dean Phillips, congressman from Minnesota, and author Marianne Williamson.

State Rep. Tommy Vitolo and State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg are on the ballot for State Democratic Committee seats.

Here are the Democratic candidates for ward committee from Newton’s various wards:

On the Republican ballot, former President Donald J. Trump is running for the nomination against Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and CEO Ryan Binkley.

The ballot will also include names of candidates who have recently dropped out of the race: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Former Alaska Giv. Asa Hutchinson.

For Republican State Committee, Tom Mountain and Vladislav S. Yanovsky are running for one state committeeman seat, and Susan Huffman and Rosann Palermo Fleischauer are running for one committeewoman seat.

Here are the candidates for Republican ward committee, by ward (there are none on the Ward 6 ballot).

The Libertarian ballot has more presidential candidates than either mayor party this year: Jacob George Hornberger, Michael D. Rectenwald, Chase Russell Oliver, Michael Ter Maat, Lars Damian Mapstead

The Libertarian Party does not have a state committee or ward committee, so the [residential race is the only race on that party’s ballot.

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