en English
en Englishes Spanishpt Portuguesear Arabicht Haitian Creolezh-TW Chinese (Traditional)
Main Menu
Search
Facebook Twitter User

Advocate News Online

Proudly serving Everett, Malden, Revere & Saugus Massachusetts
Subscribe to Access Advocate Online Editions
Legal Notice Advertising

View Everett Edition

View Malden Edition

View Revere Edition

View Saugus Edition

Latest News

It may not have been overwhelming, but it certainly WAS a notable increase in voter turnout in Malden’s September 1 State Primary Election, higher than every similar election in over 20 years, as well as 35% increase than two out of the last three Final Municipal Elections. (Advocate Photo)

EDITORIAL: For the first time in 20 years, voter numbers rose in Malden’s September 1 State Primary; Could it be a trend? We can only hope Today, the city of Malden has more residents — close to or over 70,000 — than it has ever had in its nearly four centuries of existence. Malden also now has on its rolls the most registered voters in municipal history as well — 38,625 in all — close to half of its total population. It may have gone unnoticed in the recent September 1 State Primary Election, but voter turnout in that election was the highest for a state primary in the city of Malden in OVER 20 YEARS, dating back to the early 2000s. Want more numbers? How about the fact that voter turnout September 1 also topped every municipal primary election dating back to the early 2000s? More voters marked ballots in the September 1 State Primary than in two of the last three FINAL municipal elections! That includes the 2025 election, which featured a contested mayoral election, and the 2023 election, which did not have a mayoral vote. The September 1 State Primary turnout even very nearly equaled the final Malden municipal election of 2021, which included another contested mayoral vote. Malden’s state primary voter turnout also surpassed the total in this past March 31 Special Election, the pivotal Proposition 2 1/2 Override Election, where this city’s voters chose not to back the tax increase. Maybe it was just a crest of a voter wave, destined to roll back softly in the other direction the next time an election is held. Maybe it was just a blip on the proverbial voter radar, an inexplicable anomaly. Or, how about just giving our city’s voters a round of applause for coming to the polls in greater numbers than usual? We will even settle for the dialed back golf clap on this one. But at least acknowledge it, since, as we all know, numbers don’t lie. Malden’s state primary voter turnout was certainly not eye-opening or mind boggling. But it was more than the others mentioned above! All told, some 7,950 voters cast ballots on September 1 in Malden’s 2026 State Primary Election. That represents 20.5% of this city’s 38,625 registered voters, a historical high for city rolls, as we already stated. In the landmark Prop. 2 1/2 override Special Election last March, just 15% voted. No more than 17% of registered voters in Malden voted in the 2024, 2022, 2020, 2018, 2014, 2012, 2010 and 2008 State Primary Elections in Malden. In the last final Municipal Election in Malden in 2025, just 15% of voters marked ballots. A 35% rise in voter turnout from both the Prop. 2 1/2 Special Election and that city election alone — from 15% to 20.5% — is a 35% rise, no questions asked. For anyone looking for more voter turnout, who laments the low numbers, this increase, from one or two elections to the next, is quite notable and has to be considered commendable. We could look to the fact that we had two Malden candidates in a state Senate race that featured an open seat for the first time in six elections for the boost in voter interest. In the Democratic primary, local Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald topped the Malden ticket in the local 5th District Senate tally to replace outgoing Sen. Jason Lewis, topping overall winner state Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D-32nd Middlesex, Melrose, Malden) and Malden Ward 4 Councillor Ryan O’Malley. We also had popular Malden resident U.S. Senator Ed Markey fending off another younger Congressman vying to replace him in the Democratic primary in Seth Moulton. Markey won handily, though no one except maybe the Senator himself expected the landslide result. When sports teams win two championships in a row the rumblings of dynasty begin; they burst out loud with three. Here in Malden, we hope more voters go to the polls in the November State General Election; another 35% overall increase from 7,950 voters to over 10,000 and 26-29% or even 30% going to the polls would be very welcome to see. If it continues in another future election, then we could dare to call that progress, or perhaps, hopefully, even more: a trend. CAPTION It may not have been overwhelming, but it certainly WAS a notable increase in voter turnout in Malden’s September 1 State Primary Election, higher than every similar election in over 20 years, as well as 35% increase than two out of the last three Final Municipal Elections. (Advocate Photo)

September 10, 2026
Today, the city of Malden has more residents — close to or over 70,000 — than it has ever had in its nearly four

Contact Advocate Newspapers

  • 573 Broadway # A
    Everett, MA 02149
  • 617-387-2200
  • 781-286-8500
  • 781-233-4446
  • 617-381-0800
Finance
Partners
Asesoria

Local Sports

View All

Ads

New England Patriots

View All
Everett Turkey Toss

Everett successfully defends Turkey Toss title

gallery01

News Headline

gallery02

News Headline

gallery03

News Headline

gallery04

News Headline

gallery06

News Headline

gallery07

News Headline

gallery05

News Headline

gallery09

News Headline

gallery08

News Headline

gallery10

News Headline

Boston Red Sox

View All

Boston Celtics

View All

Boston Bruins

View All

New England Revolution

View All