Community Corner

Island Voters Take Part in Super Tuesday

What you need to know and where you need to go to vote

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, a day that features the biggest one-day collection of state primaries and caucuses in the United States.

Massachusetts’s residents, along with residents of nine other states will have their say in the 2012 Republican presidential primary race.  A recent Suffolk University poll has former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 64 percent, with former Sen. Rick Santorum at 16 percent. Texas Congressman Ron Paul at 7 percent, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in last place with 6 percent.

Massachusetts has 41 delegates to be won, and delegates are awarded proportionally as opposed to winner-take-all. Candidates receiving at least 15 percent of the vote will receive a share of the delegates.

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Other states voting on Super Tuesday include: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

While Martha’s Vineyard voters are largely registered Democrats, Jim Powell, chairman of the West Tisbury Republican Town Committee is out in Idaho with the Romney campaign. He said he feels, “very confident” about the results of Super Tuesday for Romney.

Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“People are gearing up nation-wide for November,” he said. “The issue of economy is going to resonate again and again with voters and not the superfluous issues that are not Romney’s priority and that can divide any party. The country needs to unify around a candidate who wants to get the 24 million Americans who lost their jobs, back to work.”

Back on the Island, Linda Mott-Smith and Carolyn Flynn, also members of the Martha’s Vineyard Republicans have been giving out Romney lawn signs and making phone calls to get out the vote on the Island.

According to Tim Carroll, Executive Secretary for the , there have not been too many people coming in to register for the primary.

“Other than folks making light of the lack of choices, we haven’t heard much about it,” he said.

He noted that there have been a few young people who have come in to register.

“The nice thing about the primary is that it brings attention to the upcoming election. Younger folks who are going to be 18 by November are coming in to register and people who have just moved here are registering as well. Whether or not they vote in the primary, they’re getting ready for the main event.”

Over in Oak Bluffs there has been little activity as well. Currently, they have 33 absentee ballots as opposed to 2008 when there were 185.

Marion Mudge, Town Clerk for the said she “expects a really low turnout,” based on the fact that there has not been a single application for an absentee ballot for this primary.

Only registered Democrats, Republicans, Green Rainbow and Unenrolled (former Independent status) voters may vote in this election.  Those registered as Libertarian, Pirate Party or Interdependent Third Party cannot vote.  

On the Democratic Party ballot there is only one candidate, Barack Obama. On the Republican Party ballot there is Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. However, Bachmann, Huntsman and Perry have pulled out of the race and any votes for those candidates will not be counted.

Here are the voting locations for Island towns. All polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm tomorrow, March 6th.

Aquinnah

Chilmark

Edgartown

Oak Bluffs

Vineyard Haven

American Legion Hall

West Tisbury

                                                                                      


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