WORCESTER, MA — Preliminary results from Worcester’s September 1 state primary show 18,238 ballots cast among 119,806 registered voters.
That represents a turnout rate of 15.22%, or fewer than one in six registered voters. The figure is preliminary and may change slightly before the results are certified.
The election included a Democratic primary for U.S. Senate between Ed Markey and Seth Moulton. Voters also considered contested Democratic primaries for two Worcester-area state House seats.
In the Democratic primary for the 14th Worcester District state House seat, preliminary results listed James O’Day with 2,921 votes and Rajeshkumar “Raj” Rajeshkumar with 1,815 votes.
Those totals equal approximately 61.7% for O’Day and 38.3% for Rajeshkumar.
The 14th Worcester District includes portions of Worcester and West Boylston. The reported totals therefore represent the entire legislative district, not Worcester city alone.
The 15th Worcester District Democratic primary included Mary Keefe and Ronald Waddell Jr.
Voting before Election Day
Worcester voters could vote by mail or cast ballots in person before the primary.
The early in-person voting period ran from August 22 through August 28 at Worcester Public Library. Voters from all Worcester wards and precincts could use that location.
Interim figures reported before Election Day listed more than 8,100 Worcester ballots cast by mail or through early in-person voting by August 31. The same report cited 762 early in-person ballots cast at Worcester Public Library.
An earlier August 27 count listed 6,841 returned mail ballots and 498 early in-person votes. The two sets of figures were recorded on different dates.
What’s Up Worcester has not independently reconciled those interim figures with the final preliminary total of 18,238 ballots. The figures should not be added together without confirmation that they use the same categories and do not overlap.
What the numbers show
The 15.22% figure compares the total number of ballots cast with the city’s registered-voter count.
It does not show turnout by neighborhood, age, renter status, race, ethnicity, or any other demographic category. It also does not establish why individual residents voted or did not vote.
Under Massachusetts primary rules, registered Democrats may vote in the Democratic primary, registered Republicans may vote in the Republican primary, and unenrolled voters may choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot.
Publicly reported preliminary figures indicate that Worcester turnout was higher than in the comparable 2024 primary. What’s Up Worcester has not independently verified that comparison against the city’s certified records.
The final certified citywide total, along with an official precinct-by-precinct turnout breakdown, had not been confirmed for this report.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
- Project / Topic: Worcester turnout and contested races in the September 1, 2026 Massachusetts state primary.
- Current Status: Preliminary publicly reported results show 18,238 ballots cast among 119,806 registered voters.
- Key Dates or Decisions: The primary was held September 1. Early in-person voting ran from August 22 through August 28.
- Estimated Cost: No election-related cost was identified in the information reviewed for this report.
- Timeline: Mail and early in-person voting took place before Election Day. Preliminary citywide results were reported after the polls closed.
- Immediate Next Steps: Confirm the final certified results, the official precinct count, and the city’s precinct-level turnout figures.
- Primary Sources: Preliminary Worcester election figures, Worcester election information, Massachusetts primary-election rules, and election-related City Clerk information reported before Election Day.
- What We Do Not Yet Know: The final certified turnout; official turnout for each precinct; whether the interim early- and mail-voting figures use overlapping categories; and why individual residents voted or did not vote.
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