Mass. Voters Cast their Ballots on Super Tuesday: Live Updates

One of 14 states represented in Super Tuesday, Massachusetts will cast ballots today for primary contenders vying for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election.

Multiple candidates in the race boast Harvard connections: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) formerly taught at Harvard Law School, and former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has donated significant sums to the University. Other former presidential hopefuls honed their political skills in Cambridge, too, including former Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick ’78 and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Peter P.M. Buttigieg ’04.

The Crimson sent reporters to polling locations in Cambridge and Allston to talk to voters throughout Super Tuesday. Read our live updates below.

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Mar. 3, 8 p.m., Cambridge City Hall

A consistent stream of voters flowed into the basement of Cambridge City Hall during the final hour of voting Tuesday.

Cambridge resident Teagan Haggerty said she made a last-minute decision to vote for United States Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. received the endorsement of two former candidates — former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Peter P. M. Buttigieg and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

“I’ve been a Warren supporter all along, but in the last couple days, it definitely seems like the [Democratic National ommittee] is trying to push everybody into the status quo with the exit of Buttigieg and Klobuchar,” Haggerty said. “So I want to make sure that Bernie is going to get enough votes to be the candidate that the people chose.”

Haggerty said she hopes to bolster Sanders as moderate voters appear to be coalescing around Biden.

“Lots of people are kind of hypothesizing that he’s going to now collect all those votes from Klobuchar and collect the votes from Buttigieg,” she said. “I don’t like that as an 11th-hour move.”

Cambridge resident Ziba Scott, who said this year’s primary has been “a lot messier” and more contentious than he’d like, voted for Warren Tuesday.

“I like how she approaches articulating her visions. I think she’s sharp and ready to participate in really constructive and intelligent ways in the debates we need to have.”

—Jasper G. Goodman, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 5 p.m., Gund Hall

Gund Hall at the Harvard Graduate School of Design remained a relatively quiet polling location Tuesday afternoon.

Eli B. Frankel ’22 said he voted for Sanders because of the consistency of his message over the years.

“I think that the excitement that he energized in people is sufficient to beat Trump in the general election,” Frankel said.

Sajjad Rizvi, a Cambridge resident, said his decision to back Biden was an easy one, citing the former vice president's long political career.

“I think we need the experience,” Rizvi said. “I think we need somebody who can take the president on. I think he is a strong candidate for that.”

Frankel, a social studies concentrator, said he will vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is. He added that he is not worried about Sanders supporters getting in line to back the nominee if the Vermont senator loses.

“The people we hear from are those who are the most energetic and sort of extreme supporters of each candidate,” Frankel said. “When people say that no Sanders supporters are going to turn out for a Bloomberg or a Biden, it’s really an exaggeration of the truth.”

—Jasper G. Goodman, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 4:40 p.m., Quincy House

Cambridge resident Maggie Brown said she was “very disappointed” when former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Peter P.M. Buttigieg ’04 dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday night.

At the polls Tuesday, she said she voted for Biden but was not “excited about him.”

“He's the safest,” she said. “I know pundits that I hear on TV — people who are really staunch republicans — that would vote for Joe Biden.”

Despite bubbling in Biden’s name, Brown said she walked away from the booth with a hint of disillusionment over the remaining democratic nominees.

“It's amazing to me that starting off with a diversity of candidates we had, we ended up with all these people in their 70s,” she said.

—Charles Xu, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 4:12 p.m., Cambridge City Hall

The stream of voters has slowed to a trickle inside the City Hall basement. Cambridge residents from a wide age range hand in their ballots and don small oval “I Voted!” stickers. A woman with a baby strapped to her chest places a sticker on the baby’s shirt and poses for a selfie.

Cambridge resident Mary R. Few, 74, said she planned to vote for Warren, confessing that she does not know much about the other candidates.

“I’d really like to have a woman president,” Few said.

On the other end of the age spectrum, first-time voter Raya S. Keir said she thought Sanders was the “best candidate” for this year’s election.

“His policies most match up to my personal policies,” she said. “I really support him on healthcare and education for all.”

Outside, a small crowd of volunteers holding bright blue “Warren” signs cheers loudly as passing cars honk in support.

—Joshua C. Fang, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 3:40 p.m., Cambridge City Hall

For the first time this afternoon, a small line has formed at the Cambridge City Hall polling station.

The source of the build-up? A paper jam in the box that counts each voter’s ballot. According to the box, 923 votes have been cast so far.

Voters wait in line, some fidgeting and pulling out their phones, others making small talk with others in line.

“I voted for Elizabeth Warren because I think she’d be the best president,” said Caitlin A. Koseck, a 2016 Harvard Law School graduate. “I’ve really liked her since law school.”

“I brought my own pen because of the coronavirus,” another voter announces to the room.

—Joshua C. Fang, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 3:20 p.m., Quincy House

Sanika S. Mahajan ’21 — a Mather House resident — entered the booth as a Warren supporter. After voting, she described the senator as the progressive candidate with the "most actionable plans."

In an interview, Mahajan emphasized the importance of voter turnout among youth and minorities.

"Young voters and people of color and women showing that they're going to vote for the Democratic nominee — no matter who it is — in November is so important, even beginning now," she said. "Turnout matters so much, regardless of what the outcome of the primary is and the convention in July."

Some voters said they wanted a progressive agenda, but debated between Warren and Sanders.

For Rosalind A. DeLaura ’21, the choice came down to supporting a woman in her presidential bid.

"I feel like I owe respect and admiration toward Warren," she said. "Everyone keeps talking about how she's unelectable because she's a woman. If you always say someone's unelectable then you're going to keep them unelectable."

—Charles Xu, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 3:15 p.m., Cambridge City Hall

A small but steady stream of Cambridge residents trickles through the basement to cast their votes at the City Hall voting location.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) presence in her home state is clear, with volunteers standing outside the front door of the building holding signs to urge voters to choose Warren.

Maureen C. Ryan, who has lived in Massachusetts for over 30 years, said she voted for Warren because she was the most “qualified” person for the job.

“I’ve been following her, listening to her all along her campaign trail,” she said.

Other voters had a blunter assessment of the Bay State senator.

“She’s a badass,” Cambridge resident Kathy R. Weller said. “She just cuts through the crap and I really trust her.”

—Joshua C. Fang, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 2:20 p.m., Quincy House

A bevy of current and former Harvard students cast their ballots at Quincy House Tuesday afternoon.

Adam S. Park ’22 said he has supported three different candidates throughout the primary process, eventually landing on former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Park originally backed entrepreneur Andrew M. Yang’s longshot presidential bid before he dropped out on Feb. 12. He then threw his support behind United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who suspended her campaign and endorsed Biden Sunday.

“I think it’s a little concerning to see what things look like — how fragmented things are,” Park said. “I’m happy to see the more moderate-leaning candidates coalescing around Biden.”

Madison L. Coveno ’14 said she was less pleased to see the support Biden picked up over the weekend from former rivals. Coveno — a supporter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — said she is concerned about progressive Democrats not unifying behind one candidate with both Sanders and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) still in the race.

“I’m nervous that Warren staying in the race is going to split the progressive vote,” she said.

Still, both Coveno and Park agreed that the party is likely to unify behind the eventual nominee.

“It’s really easy to have unity when it’s just not Trump,” Park said.

—Jasper G. Goodman, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 10:30 a.m., Honan-Allston Public Library

Several Allston voters came to the polls today in support of the two of the race’s most progressive candidates — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Recent polls before election day showed Sanders leading Warren in her home state.

Matthew C. Gillick, a Sanders supporter, said that the senator stands out to him as the “one candidate that isn’t bought.”

“He’s been saying the same meat and potatoes platform for the past 35 years,” he said. “There needs to be a huge overhaul in the system.”

Gillick said that healthcare was a particularly important issue that led him to support Sanders, who has proposed implementing a “Medicare for All” system.

“It just makes sense to have more options for healthcare,” he said. “If that means a government-run program, it might not be perfect but at least it’s something that people can fall back on.”

Allston resident Patrick E. Shaw said that he voted for Warren because he believes she is “brilliant.” He said Warren’s education policy was an important factor that influenced his vote.

“The fact that she has a background in education and with the teachers is really big to me,” he said. “I feel like those ideas centering around education are always important to me.”

—Taylor C. Peterman, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 10:10 a.m., Honan-Allston Public Library

A steady stream of Allstonians made their way into the Honan-Allston Branch of the Boston Public Library Tuesday morning to cast their votes, many remarking on the sunny spring weather.

Elydia S. Riley, an Allston resident and mother of a young daughter, said that deciding who to vote for was “very, very difficult.” She ultimately voted for U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“Originally I was planning on voting for Biden, even though I love Elizabeth Warren, but I don’t think she can win,” Riley said.

“I feel like he’s the only one who can take on Donald Trump,” she added.“And I feel like crazy needs to go against crazy.”

Riley also said that her vote was influenced by her daughter.

“I cannot have her grow up in this type of world,” she said.

Dorothy A. McDonough, an Allston resident who said she’s worked in politics for “many years,” said that she voted for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden today.

“I think he’s probably the one we have to go with at this point,” she said. "Not even anti-anyone, but just for someone.”

She also said that she was pleased by the turnout at the Allston library.

“I’m pleased today to see so many people coming, even at this early hour,” she said. “And I just hope we can get going in a different direction.”

—Taylor C. Peterman, Crimson Staff Writer

Mar. 3, 7 a.m.

Massachusetts polls open. Two Harvard buildings — Quincy House and Gund Hall — serve as polling sites.