Election Fact of the Day

During yesterday's municipal primary, 81,641 Bostonians, an impressive 24 percent of eligible voters, cast ballots, according to the City of Boston. Most of them voted for mayor—only 439 voters didn't—but a lot of people didn't use all of their votes for city councilor at-large. Each voter could choose 4 candidates for the at-large seats, but most probably didn't. In fact, of a possible 326,564 votes for city councilor at-large, only 194,247 were cast. That's only 60 percent! What gives, Boston?

Incidentally, incumbents John Connolly and Stephen Murphy, along with Felix G. Arroyo, Ayanna Pressley, Andrew Kenneally, Tito Jackson, Doug Bennett, and Tomas Gonzalez, survived the primary and will be on November's ballot. Of the four at-large seats up for grabs, two are empty.