Sept. 8 Was Effectively Nov. 8 for Massachusetts. That's Not Good.

For most of the country, Election Day 2016 is still two months away, but in Massachusetts, it effectively passed us by on Thursday. That's pretty terrible news, but don't feel bad if you didn't notice.

Thursday was Massachusetts' Primary Day, generally considered a precursor to the big ballot box showdown coming Nov. 8. That's when the national presidential candidates are up for a vote, and state-level candidates would normally square off against their challengers on the other side of the aisle. There would be much-hyped debates, significant news coverage and splashy advertising for those local candidates that you couldn't ignore, even if you tried.

Except a huge number of the elections on the ballot Thursday were it — there is no general election challenge ahead. Their win Tuesday is a de facto guarantee of a seat in the Legislature. Moreover, many of the primary races were uncontested, without a fellow party member to drive media coverage, advertising and debate.

We'll get into why this is such a problem in just a minute. First, a few quick example numbers.

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Of the 31 races on Boston ballots, 28 were effectively decided Thursday night. Of those 28, in which only Democrats are listed as running, 17 candidates were incumbents with no challengers — not even in the primary. In the 11 contested Boston primaries, every incumbent seeking re-election won. Only three of the Democratic primary winners listed on Thursday's ballot will face challengers this fall.

It should be no surprise that turnout in Boston ended at about 9 percent of registered voters, according to the City of Boston.

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When you only have one or two not-so-contested races on your ballot, it can feel like a big ask to get to the polls. It's natural to wonder, "Why bother, when I know this candidate will win no matter what I do?"

In contrast, take a look at Milton, where state Rep. Walter Timilty bested challenger Nora Harrington in a closely watched race to replace departing Senate President Brian Joyce.

It's a sad night when turnout well under 50 percent is cause to celebrate.

Statewide, numbers are projected to look a lot like Boston's, at around 8-10 percent voter turnout.

And that's not even the depressing part.

The real problem is that it shields incumbents and nominees in safely party-bound seats from public scrutiny. An uncontested race isn't going to attract the kinds of donors who pay for attention-getting advertising, it doesn't inspire rigorous, door-to-door campaigning and it won't drive media coverage.

Instead, it creates a void in which politicians are not held to account, something especially problematic as the issues driving us in the November election shift and take shape.

Just think of where the money is being spent this primary season.

As The Boston Herald reports, pro- and anti-charter groups are funneling cash into the few contested primaries, a prelude to a ballot question this November that decides whether or not to lift the cap on Massachusetts charter schools.

That kind of spending may be single-issue, but it forces candidates to account for their positions, and pushes reporters to delve more deeply as they track campaign fundraising/spending, and suss out how candidates differ from their challengers.

Competition also makes a difference in voter engagement.

In Boston, the race that saw heavy spending from pro- and anti-charter groups was a three-way fight to fill departing Rep. Gloria Fox's Roxbury seat. It saw among the highest number of total votes cast in the Boston Democratic Primaries, and also had far and away the fewest number of uncast ballots (aka those left blank, as voters opted not to pick anybody).

But that primary, too, is an example of the void that comes next, particularly in an overwhelmingly Democratic district like the Suffolk 7th. Nobody is registered to run against that primary's winner, Chynnah Tyler, in November.

Like so many Massachusetts candidates this Sept. 8, her race is run, and she all but officially won it Tuesday.

Read more from Patch's Primary night coverage:

• ELECTION RESULTS: Timilty Wins State Senate Primary
• Patricia Jehlen's Win a Blow to Charter School Supporters
• Primary Election Results: Chynah Tyler Will Succeed Gloria Fox in 7th District
• Jack Lewis Wins Democratic 7th Middlesex Race

Image via Mass. Elections Division