Biden, Trump win Wareham
The national front-runners of the 2024 presidential race, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, won the Wareham portion of Tuesday's primaries with high margins, according to preliminary figures.
Biden earned 1763 votes from Wareham residents. "No preference" was the second-most chosen option at 128 votes, then Dean Phillips with 110 and Marianne Williamson with 79.
A nationwide campaign has asked voters to choose "No Preference" on the Democratic ballot as a protest vote in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump earned 1885 votes on the Republican ballot, with Nikki Haley coming in second with 699 votes. Chris Christy came third with 28, followed by 18 "No Preference" votes, 13 for Ron DeSantis, 5 for Vivek Ramaswamy, 3 for Ryan Binkley and 2 for Asa Hutchinson.
The Libertarian ballot was led by 29 "No Preference" votes, followed by 7 for Jacob George Hornberger, 6 for Chase Russell Oliver, 4 for Lars Damian Mapstead, 2 for Michael D. Rectenwald and 1 for Michael Ter Maat.
A total of 2143 ballots were submitted for the Democratic presidential race, 2673 for the Republican and 71 for the Libertarian.
The grand total of 4886 makes for an approximate 26% turnout from Wareham's 18,765 registered voters (figures accurate as of Feb. 21).
Turnout was slightly down from 2020, when 4,918 people representing 30% of registered voters cast their ballots.
Wareham voters leaving the polls spoke of doing their civic duty.
“You can’t complain if you don’t vote, said John Lamken, who said he always votes.
Rosemarie Clinton said the presidential election is very important to her I’m glad I have my freedom to vote,” she said.
“It’s our civic duty to come out and vote,” said Kevin Costner.
All voting figures are unofficial figures reported the morning of Wednesday, March 6, and still need to be certified.