Boston, MA— According to Secretary of State William Galvin, by the time polls opened at 7am this morning, nearly half a million voters (9.8% of all registered voters) had returned ballots by mail or in person, and overall turnout looks like it could be historically high compared to recent primary elections.

Vote by mail and in-person early voting options—recent additions to voting practice in MA— continue to be a win for voters and democracy, strengthening access to the ballot and making voting more accessible to Bay Staters. In response to the good news about early voter turnout, the Election Modernization Coalition released the following statement:

“At a time when many Americans are concerned about the future of democracy, our Election Modernization Coalition is gratified to see the reforms we’ve fought for are bringing down barriers to participation and voting, and increasing the number of voters who cast their ballot.

Just a handful of years ago, neither universal mail voting nor early in-person voting existed in the Commonwealth. Whatever the final tally of voters in this primary day contest, it’s clear that these new voting options have been embraced by voters and give them more efficient and convenient ways to participate.”

The Election Modernization Coalition consists of ACLU of MA, Common Cause MA, Disability Law Center, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, Lawyers for Civil Rights, League of Women Voters of MA, MassVOTE, MA Voter Table, MASSPIRG, and Urban League of Eastern MA.