New voter registrations vary by community.
SPRINGFIELD – Secretary of State William F. Galvin issued a reminder Wednesday that Friday is the final day to register to vote for the Sept. 6 primary.
Voters throughout the state will go to the polls then to trim the field of candidates for Congressional, state and county elected offices.
The unusual Thursday election was scheduled to prevent conflict with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year that begins Sept. 16, and the fact that many polling places involve schools and religious facilities, Galvin said. State primary elections are normally scheduled on the third Tuesday of September.
Also, state election officials wanted to avoid conflict with the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. that begins on Sept. 4.
Galvin reported that voter registration is “relatively slow throughout the state.”
That is apparently true in local communities such as Northampton and Westfield.
Northampton City Clerk Wendy A. Mazza said people have been coming in to register but not in unusually great numbers.
“They did this for the 2008 election as well,” she said, adding that some people have come to her office “simply to make sure they are registered to vote,” said Mazza.
Westfield City Clerk Karen M. Fanion said “We have had a few last minute registrations but nothing significant.” Fanion said that as of June 1 Westfield has 23,506 voters eligible to cast ballots Sept. 6. “We will up date that after Friday,” she said.
Chicopee reported a total of 342 new voters registering within the past six weeks and 19 alone signed up at a special table set up at the city’s Aug. 6 National Night Our event, said Janina Surdyka, registrar of voters.
Surdyka reminded residents that registration deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday.
Springfield Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola said her office has received 1,006 registrations either through mail or people coming to City Hall during the last month.
“Usually the registration for primaries is slow but this has been surprisingly busy,” she said. “They are intending on voting.”
Holyoke City Clerk Susan M. Egan said voter interest in the Paper City is high.
“It’s very good,” Egan said. From March to Aug. 1, 455 new voters registered. Since Aug. 1, another 100 have registered, she said.
Staff writers Fred Contrada, Jeanette DeForge and Mike Plaisance contributed to this report.