What To Know About Brookline Precinct 16 Special State Primary

BROOKLINE, MA – Brookline voters headed to the polls on May 2 will see not just one, but two, ballots – one for their local Town elections and another ballot for a special state primary election.

The inclusion of a special state primary election is to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of state Rep. Ed Coppinger (D-10), said Brookline Town Clerk Ben Kaufman.

Coppinger represents the 10th Suffolk District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, including all of West Roxbury and Precinct 16 in Brookline. He filed a letter of resignation at the House Clerk's office at the end of February to join the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council.

“To fill that seat, they have to have a special state primary and then the actual special state election,” said Kaufman.

The special state primary is scheduled for May 2, the same day as the annual Town election, and the special state election will be on May 30. The deadline to submit nomination papers for the special state election is March 21 at 5 p.m.

For the special state primary, Brookline residents can choose which ballot they receive based on the party they are registered with, said Kaufman, and can also choose to vote by mail.

“We are going to be mailing out a postcard to every voter in Brookline where they can request the vote by mail ballot, and for those who are in Precinct 16, that postcard will allow them to request ballots both for the town election as well as for these special state elections and special state primaries,” said Kaufman. “Every registered voter in Precinct 16 is going to get that in the mail so that they can request that information.”

The polling location for Precinct 16 voters will be the Putterham Branch Library at 959 W. Roxbury Parkway in Chestnut Hill.