By Sophia Harris
Editor-in-Chief
The Super Tuesday results point to a repeat of the 2020 election in Massachusetts, with President Joe Biden leading the Democratic party and former President Donald Trump leading the Republican Party.
This year, Framingham staffed 10 polling locations covering 24 precincts on March 5th.
A change in this year's national primary from 2020 is the choice to vote “no preference.”
A “no-preference” vote means you can vote in the primary national election without voting for a specific candidate.
No matter what party a voter is affiliated with, voting “no preference” would mean a voter does not support any candidate on the ballot.
According to the Associated Press, Trump won the Massachusetts Republican primary with 340,247 votes (60.0%).
President Biden won the Democratic primary with 524,372 votes (82.9%).
However, 58,975 Democratic voters in Massachusetts voted “no preference,” while 5,611 Republican voters voted “no preference” on Tuesday.
According to the Framingham City Clerk office, Biden won the vote of Framingham Democrats, taking 6,497 votes of 7,805 cast (83%).
“No preference” earned 558 votes, and Democratic challenger Dean Phillips received 317.
There were also 121 write-ins and 112 blanks, according to the City Clerk's office.
Trump earned 2,025 of 3,985 votes cast (50.8%).
One hundred and one Framingham voters took Libertarian ballots on Tuesday.
Massachusetts is one of the 26 states with an option of “no preference,” although some have other titles for this vote such as “undeclared,” “noncommitted,” “caucus,” and “unrestricted delegation.”
The states and territories that had an option of “no preference” on their ballot were Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and American Samoa, according to an article published by MassLive.
There were options in other states such as Vermont, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. for voters to write in candidates.
David Smailes, a political science professor at Framingham State, said, “Super Tuesday is important because it gives voters a chance to express where they believe their party should be going.”
He added, “In some states, voting on Super Tuesday will decide which candidates will be running in Senate and House races this fall.
Smailes said, “It's especially important for young voters to begin to make their voices heard in all of these decisions, and Super Tuesday is an important first opportunity for them to shape their futures by shaping the fall elections.”
Political Science Professor Sam Biasi said, “Unfortunately, we live in a context in Massachusetts where our votes are not very powerful.”
They added that even though “we are powerless, some of the power that we might have is to register discontent.”
Biasi said every voter has to make their own ethical decision in who they vote for.
They added, “One of the ways that you can express power in this election is by voting on the ballot in a way that aligns with what Palestinian activists or other people call for.
“Vote in the primaries because there's no current mainstream part of American politics that has any interest in stopping this or not supporting Israel,” Biasi said.
Representative Jack Patrick Lewis of Middlesex 7th district said, “With armed conflicts and humanitarian crises worsening each day, abortion restrictions spreading across the country, and fundamental democratic principles under attack, it is as vital as ever that everyone is involved in this year's elections.”
Lewis added, “While voting is foundational, there are other opportunities to get involved, including volunteering and organizing. My first campaign was organized by high school and college students, and the background of most successful campaigns are committed young people."
Massachusetts Democratic Chair Steven Kerrigan said in a statement to The Gatepost, “Super Tuesday is a critical day in the presidential election process and Massachusetts plays a pivotal role.”
He added, “This November, young people will help decide whether our government continues to tackle the issues they care about most, like canceling student debt, protecting access to reproductive care, and ensuring we are doing all we can to address climate change. The alternative is a vote against all of that and so much more. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines."
Dawna Phillips, 54, voted at the Brophy Elementary School in Framingham on Tuesday.
She said she is voting “no preference” in order to advocate for a “cease fire in Gaza.”
She added this was her “first time ever voting “no preference.”
Phillips said although she always votes in the national and local primaries, “This time feels meaningful.”
A protest was held in Cambridge on Saturday, March 2 to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and to advocate for a vote of “no preference” on Super Tuesday.
According to an article published on March 2 by The Boston Globe, “In Cambridge, demonstration organizers encouraged the crowd to use Tuesday’s presidential primary election in Massachusetts to choose the ‘no preference’ option on the Democratic ballot to show their opposition to President Biden’s support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and US aid to Israel.”
The intention of the protest was for Massachusetts voters, who historically vote Democratic, to make enough of an impact to sway the primary election results.
Beth Folsom, 46, voted at the Connect Parish Center on Tuesday and voted in the Democratic primary.
She said she reasoned that voting “no preference” was “just too risky.”
Folsom added, “We cannot have a repeat of the 2016 election.”
Aside from voting “no preference,” voters in Framingham were concerned about topics such as the economy, immigration, and women's rights.
John Feeney, 69, who voted at the Brophy Elementary School, said he is looking for someone to “lead the country and thinks about everyone,” adding, “I don't see that” in this year's primary candidates.
He said the issues he is most concerned with are the lack of resources available for both residents of Massachusetts and Framingham because of the immigration crisis.
Feeney said inflation is one of his biggest concerns while voting.
“I'm retired. I have a specific amount of money. I can't buy something that costs twice the amount of money that it was four years ago.”
Brian Sullivan, who is in his 50s, voted at the Connect Parish Church, said, “When you vote, you want to feel like you are making a difference.”
He added the age of both the Democratic and Republican candidates is one of his concerns while heading to the polls.
He said the considerations he took with him to the polls were policies regarding education, senior care, the economy, and the wars happening across the world.
Many Framingham State students also voted.
Freshman Kendra Traywink said she voted by mail-in ballot.
Traywink said it was her first time voting. “If you want your voice to be heard, you should go for it. ... It’s your choice if you want to or not - you just might as well know you can do it.”
Junior Dyanna Londo said, “Everyone should be voting because it’s our future and everyone should have a say on what their future looks like.”
Londo said the most important issue to her is the economy. “The economy is so bad and we should be looking to make it better.”
Sophomore Kelsey Gendreau said she plans on voting in the upcoming presidential election.
“It's important that everyone gets a say on who’s leading the country,” she said.
Gendreau said the most important issue that would influence her vote is a candidate’s social ideologies and their stance on climate policies.
Junior Sam Kill said he is concerned about diversity and equity and is interested in an economic reform that promotes welfare.
Senior Dimitry Martin Madrona said, “I’d also like to see more money put into the country itself, rather than being put off to other countries.”
He added, “I’d like to see more money put into homelessness and migrants because you see a lot of migrants and homeless people - more prevalent especially on the West Coast. The United States should put more money into more programs and more centers.
“You can’t be in the mindset that ‘if I vote nothing’s going to happen,’ because I feel like so many people, especially in our generation, don’t see the need to vote because it’s going to be red or blue,” Martin Madrona said.
Sophomore Leena Elvayouni said she voted “no preference” on Tuesday’s ballot.
She said she cares about issues such as women's reproductive rights, health care, equal access to education, and the economy.
She said she had “Palestine in mind” while voting in Tuesday's election.
Senior Marlee Griffen said, “Palestine is a big one for me. I’m seeing a lot of that on social media.”
She said, “People are really upset with Joe Biden because of his lack of stance for Palestinians.
“The two-party system is being questioned a lot right now,” she added.
Griffen said, “I think that [voters] are tired of the two-party system where we are forced to choose between two old guys.”
She added, “They just aren’t representative of actual Americans. I'm seeing more third-party candidates gain popularity.”
Freshman Leona Jones said the fentanyl crisis and mass gun violence are relevant and concerning issues for her.
Freshman Audrey Desmond is also concerned about gun violence.
“I feel like every time guns are mentioned, your immediate thought is it’s not protection - it’s violence,” Desmond said.
Discussing the “no preference” ballot option, Sophomore Jack Bryk said people should be educated before choosing a party and should never “go in blindly based on hearsay.”
Senior Niko Salado said, “I care about racial inequality. I care about making sure that the houseless have places to sleep. I care about making sure that everybody has something to eat, and that we take care of our children, and that we educate them properly.”
Sophomore Amanda Moriarty said she feels there are a lot of things wrong with the world and it is important to vote.
Moriarty said the most important issues for her are women's rights and abortion - access to
health care.
Sophomore Faith Wangui said, “I just feel like when it comes to voting, I have to look at the person that I’m voting for.”
Junior Sasha Charmant said, “When I was little, I felt like the presidents knew everything and they were someone to look up to. Then you grow up you learn that there's a lot of corruption and they are definitely not perfect. So try to find someone close to perfect - but no one is perfect.”