<p>Vineyard voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the high-profile Presidential primary race that has riveted public attention for months.</p>
Vineyard voters go to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the high-profile Presidential primary race that has riveted public attention for months.
Widely known as Super Tuesday, March 1 will see Presidential primaries or caucuses in 14 states, including Massachusetts. Polls are open in all Island towns from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballots can be requested from town clerks until noon on Monday, Feb. 29.
Political signs sprout.
Political signs sprout.
Clerks on Martha’s Vineyard are reporting a spike in voter registration this year. Requests for absentee ballots are also up sharply.
For the first time, during this election cycle commonwealth residents had the option of registering to vote online. Computer desktop and mobile phone applications allow most people to register in a few minutes. Town clerks receive the registrations the following day.
“Because they advertised it on TV, and you could register on the internet, we’ve had a very large amount of people registering,” Edgartown town clerk Wanda Williams said this week. “So many people took the time to do it, a lot of young people.”
A total of 3,277 voters were registered in Edgartown by the Feb. 10 deadline, 149 more than were registered at the time of the annual town election last April.
In Tisbury, there are 3,333 registered voters, an increase of 177 over last year. Town clerk Hillary Conklin directly attributes the increase to heightened interest in the primary election.
Support for Donald Trump on Lambert's Cove Road.
Support for Donald Trump on Lambert's Cove Road.
“Absolutely. We’ve had a tremendous increase in registration,” Ms. Conklin said. “We’re way up on our absentee ballot applications.”
She too said online registration is attracting younger voters.
“Young people are really taking advantage of that,” Ms. Conklin said.
In Oak Bluffs there are 3,791 registered voters, an increase of 112 over last year. This week town clerk Laura Johnston was busy answering a surge in requests for absentee ballots.
“Absentee ballots, we have usually had 50, 100,” she said. “I’m at 170. It’s a totally different year.”
More people have registered to vote up-Island as well.
In West Tisbury, 2,503 voters are registered, up 124 from last spring. In Chilmark, 931 voters are registered, six more than last spring. In Aquinnah, there are 366 registered voters, seven more than last year.
It all adds up to 14,201 registered voters countywide, not including Gosnold, an increase of 575 over last year.
Four candidates appear on the Democratic ballot in Massachusetts: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, and real estate investor Roque (Rocky) De La Fuente. Mr. O’Malley suspended his campaign early this month following the Iowa caucuses, but his name still appears on the ballot.
Voter registration is up in every Island town.
Voter registration is up in every Island town.
The crowded Republican ballot in Massachusetts includes former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, real estate investor Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former New York Gov. George Pataki, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Mr. Pataki, Mr. Huckabee, Mr. Paul, Ms. Fiorina, Mr. Santorum, Mr. Christie and Mr. Bush have all withdrawn from the race.
Democratic and Republican ballots also include two slots for state committee (man and woman) and several slots for town committee for each party.
Green-Rainbow ballots will also be available for voters.
Polling places in Island towns are as follows: Aquinnah, old town hall; Chilmark, community center; Edgartown, town hall; Oak Bluffs, public library; Tisbury, emergency services building; West Tisbury, emergency services building.
The general election is Nov. 8.
Comments
Where can we get "TRUMP" yard
Mr & Mrs Trumpet Vineyard HavenWhere can we get "TRUMP" yard signs and bumper stickers on the island?
Love seeing a rise in
Aela VHLove seeing a rise in registered voters! I only hope these newly registered voters stay interested and remember to also vote in the state and local elections when the time comes. Presidential elections are always more appealing, like a national sport of sorts, but the president is often only as good as the people WE put in Congress. Stay with it, newbies!
Don't you think you're
Jane Chittick Edgartown and Washington DCDon't you think you're crossing the line with a "Hillary" sign??
Is the Gazette crossing the
Concerned TisburyIs the Gazette crossing the line with the Trump sign or Sanders, which are posted here too?
I believe this comment was to
an observerI believe this comment was to the fact that the "Hillary" sign was the premiere photo for the article, which would suggest bias. The editors saw this comment and that is likely what prompted the change to the photo of voters at booths.
Well it is about time you
J C Murphy West TisburyWell it is about time you local people got off your Duff and voted and did something to change the system. Things are changing economically around the world and you better vote smart and not stupidly. Your Children's future depends upon it. We have not enough honest statesman and women locally, Statewide, and Federally. Our Constitution was not design to be run by liars, but by statesman and voted in by and for the people and should be watched by the people, not by uninformed voters or takers of the tax money without working. You who live on Martha's Vineyard are lucky. I just got back from Africa and what you don't understand is you could become like a third world country also. Do not vote just the way you voted before. Look at the mathematics if you can understand it, and don't vote just because you are receiving a subsidy. The deals are done, and the false promises are going to just cause inflation. Your free subsidies are over. There is no more money on the tree any more. The banks leave their money at the Federal reserve and collect interest. The Treasury borrows from the Federal Reserve, and spends it foolishly. The Corporations are not growing but making huge profits with no investments in plant and equipment and the workers benefits and wages are being cut because There are too many unemployed. There were more employed in 2008 than there are today. Forget the untruthful Percentages published by the government. That means the rich will win again. The middle class is being slaughtered, and if you don't understand that you are simply stupid. Just do the math. It is all going to change after the elections. We have increased our debt by $8 trillion since 2008. It is now $19Trillion. Just about double in 8 years of foolish spending. We have wasted the money economically. Each year the Treasury spends more than one Trillion than the IRS collects. Our GDP is $19 Trillion which is great. However If the Federal Reserve increased the interest Rate The US could easily become insolvent which means it cannot pay its promissory notes. This means we become like the rest of the world which comparatively seems okay because we are the best of the worst, but then the only way out is inflation. The interim cycles cause devastation for average Americans because of the unevenness of the business cycles. Hillary is a proven liar and you can not believe her, and Bernie has no idea of the ways and means to pay for his bogus platform. He is probably a nice guy, but socialism just doesn't work. Capitalism works and is the best of the worst systems. It still has many liars and cheaters, but it is the best mathematically for the middle class with a TRUSTWORTHY ENFORCED representative Constitutional Republic. You MUST NOT just think of yourself and the false gifts you receive from the false political profits, but you morally must think of the mathematically correct plan for the next generation. For once in your life grow up people of Martha's Vineyard and do your home work. We need a Margaret Thatcher or in war time president such as a Winston Churchill.
It's the Gazette Jane ---
W.W.W.It's the Gazette Jane --- crossing the line with a "Hillary" sign!!
We must get use to it!
Wait until TRUMP wins then you will really see their colors..
The Gazette buys their ink by
Ink by the BarrelThe Gazette buys their ink by the barrels and I could care less however we will see after the next election how their paper runs the show!
I actually got a subscription for the Gazette for a Christmas gift and if it didnt cost so much I would have thought it was a joke.
Now I use their paper for in the love birds cage that I also got for a Christmas present.
Lets see if they print this.
Huh?
DRHuh?
If you don't like the Gazette
Concerned TisburyIf you don't like the Gazette, stop trolling!
Outstanding J C Murphy , West
OutstandigOutstanding J C Murphy , West Tisbury. I just hope people cut out your post and tape it to their bathroom mirrors so they will immediately see it the moment they wake up each morning and maybe they will finally wake up properly!
They past 8 years of Hope and Change have almost literally killed our country so I hope all the brain dead idiots who voted for this will just sit out this next election. If he does not finally destroy our country in his last year with his scorched earth policy the voters I just mentioned will be the ones to put the final nail in the coffin of our country.
Lets think exactly as J C Murphy of West Tisbury explained as he could not have said it any clearer. This is our one last chance to "Make America Great Again".
TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT!!!
Christopher West ChopTRUMP FOR PRESIDENT!!!
Well, I see the hateful Trump
Concerned TisburyWell, I see the hateful Trump supporters here. I cannot even believe a well educated person would even consider a hateful person like him. Sure he tells you what you want to hear. Maybe if elected he could send every person that isn't white to another country. How much hate can he preach before some of the blind start using their ears. Yes, let's take away the few dollars that a retired or disabled person receives, let's endorse a person that supports the KKK, someone that belittles women if they don't look like a model or question his ethics. Or let's endorse someone that hires so many foreigners to work for him because he can't find qualified people in the US to work waiting tables, or brings in foreign workers and not pay overtime or pay them at all in some cases making them work 7 days a week for $5.00 an hr. Can't let someone question him without a wave of tweets then always blames his bull on an earpiece or an aid. Yes, the Clinton haters are here full force. How many attacks at her rallies have you seen, or how many at the Sanders rallies. I would vote for anyone in the world before I would vote for Drumpt which is what his name was before his family changed it to Trump. How much experience in government does he have? When does he file for bankruptcy for the u.s.? Make America great again? Please! He wants to destroy us, create a race war, and I quote "kill every terrorist family member" regardless of age. Let's send our troops to kill young children, women and elderly if one member of the family turns to the dark side. What has the U.S. come to? As far as the deficit, wasn't the last time it was low during Bill Clinton's time as a President? And if we are shipping foreigners home, let's start with two of Trumps wives. I hope your Drumpt does win, the rest of the Country will rally against the GOP.
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