BOSTON — The state’s top election official expects a ruling by the nation’s highest court clearing former President Donald Trump for the November ballot will drive more enthusiasm among voters in the presidential primaries Tuesday.
Secretary of State Bill Galvin said Monday’s unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that states can’t block Trump from the ballot will likely spur voters on both sides of the political aisle to cast ballots in the Super Tuesday contest.
“This morning’s decision makes it all the more important that those voters who have opinions on the presidency take the opportunity to express them because clearly what the court said today was that they will not do anything to decide the outcome of the presidential election,” Galvin told reporters at a briefing.
“They’ve left it up to the voters and ultimately to Congress on the issue of the enforcement of the 14th Amendment,” he added.
In their decision, justices ruled that states cannot invoke a post-Civil War constitutional provision to keep presidential candidates from appearing on ballots. That power resides with Congress, the court wrote in the 20-page opinion.
The ruling came one day ahead of the biggest test yet of the 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday, when voters are expected at polls in Massachusetts and 14 other states to nominate candidates ahead of the November election.
Galvin said many Massachusetts voters have already decided, with local clerks having received nearly 500,000 ballots as of Monday cast through the mail and during the five-day early voting period. The state has more than 4.7 million registered voters.
“We’re optimistic about a reasonably good turnout, which will be enhanced a little more by (the Supreme Court’s) decision,” Galvin said. “I don’t think it’s going to be the turnout we had four years ago.”
He said more than 350,000 Democratic ballots have been cast as of Monday, which he expects will double after Tuesday’s election. An additional 150,000 Republican ballots have been cast, and he expects an additional 400,000 GOP ballots to be cast on Election Day with Trump supporters more likely to vote in person.
“It could go even higher,” the Democrat said. “Whether it will reach the 600,000 mark – or the record mark set in 2020 elections – I don’t know.”
On the ballot Tuesday, one Democrat, two Republicans and scores of independents all want a shot at taking on incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term.
Trump is the front-runner in the Republican race, polling in double-digits over his rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Biden faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota, who will also be on the ballot in Massachusetts and other states.
Several Libertarian candidates are also on the ballot, seeking to sway voters who do not like the Democratic and Republican candidates.
Most of the candidates on the ballot – such as Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson, Ron DeSantis, Ryan Binkley and Marianne Williamson – have already dropped out of the race.
Galvin said mail ballots that have not yet been sent should be hand-delivered to ballot drop boxes or a city or town election office, not mailed.
Vote-by-mail ballots that have not been received by 8 p.m. on Election Day will not be counted, he said. Voters who still have not returned their ballot by Tuesday also have the option of turning in their ballot or voting in person at polling places.
“You need to get it to a local clerk,” he said. “You can’t expect to put in the mail and be counted.”
Galvin acknowledged a campaign urging voters to write in “no preference” on the ballot over the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. He said those votes would be counted, as the state has a “no-preference” box on presidential primary ballots.
“No preference is on the ballot,” Galvin said. “If someone wishes to vote to express concerns about an issue, no preference is the better choice. It’s more easily countable, and more meaningful in terms of the process of selecting delegates.”
Galvin said the state’s “unenrolled” or independent voters, who outnumber registered Democrats and Republicans, are likely to play a major role in elections Tuesday. He cited voter registration figures showing both major parties shrinking as the ranks of independent voters continue to grow.
Under Massachusetts’ open primary system, independent voters may draw a ballot for whichever primary they choose. Voters who are registered with a specific party may only vote in their respective primaries.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can look up polling locations and find other information at www.MassEarlyVote.com.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.