Massachusetts Votes Today: Markey Leads Moulton by Double Digits in Final Polls

Primary day, not Election Day

Massachusetts is holding its statewide primary on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. The ballot's highest profile contest is the Democratic U.S. Senate primary between incumbent Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Seth Moulton (CBS News Boston, September 1, 2026; Roll Call, September 1, 2026).

That contest does not decide control of the Senate. Cook Political Report rates the Massachusetts seat Solid Democrat among seats up this cycle, grouped with Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Virginia on the Solid Democrat line (Cook Political Report Senate ratings, August 20, 2026). The nominee will be heavily favored in November against Republican John Deaton on every major public board. Primary day still matters. It names who carries that safe line into the fall.

The late August polling strip

Emerson College surveyed 550 likely Democratic primary voters August 28 to 29 and found Markey at 60 percent, Moulton at 33 percent, and 7 percent undecided, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 points (Newsweek citing Emerson, August 31, 2026). UMass Amherst/WCVB, fielding August 5 to 12 among self identified Democratic primary voters, had Markey at 60 percent and Moulton at 32 percent with 7 percent undecided and a Democratic primary margin of error of plus or minus 5.8 points (UMass Amherst, August 2026; Boston.com, August 17, 2026).

Suffolk University for The Boston Globe, fielding August 13 to 16, showed a narrower but still clear Markey lead at 52 percent to 38 percent with about 9 to 10 percent undecided (WCVB citing Suffolk/Globe, August 18, 2026). Every public survey since June has shown Markey ahead (Roll Call, September 1, 2026). Emerson's May reading had Markey at 37 and Moulton at 32 with 29 percent undecided. The late summer consolidation is the story of the numbers, not a prophecy about turnout after 8 p.m. (Newsweek citing Emerson, August 31, 2026).

What the crosstabs and the money say

UMass found Markey leading women 65 to 24, liberals 71 to 25, college educated voters 62 to 29, and voters age 18 to 29 at 53 to 22. More than four in five Democratic primary voters in that survey approved of Markey's work in Washington, about 82 percent (UMass Amherst, August 2026). Trust on the issues broke 66 to 34 for Markey over Moulton in the same poll (Boston Herald citing UMass, August 17, 2026).

Campaign finance filings through June 30 showed Moulton raising about $5.65 million to Markey's about $4.85 million this cycle, with Moulton holding about $2.61 million cash on hand to Markey's about $2.23 million. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent Markey the maximum $62,000 contribution on August 13 (Fig City News citing FEC filings, August 25, 2026). Money raised is not votes cast. Cash on hand is not a canvass. Both belong on the table next to the polls.

The rest of the Bay State ballot

Gov. Maura Healey faces no Democratic primary opponent. On the Republican side, businessman Mike Minogue faces former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve for the gubernatorial nomination. Minogue won the state Republican convention endorsement in April (CBS News Boston, September 1, 2026). Several House Democrats also face primary challengers, including Reps. Stephen Lynch, Richard Neal, and Jake Auchincloss (Semafor via Ground News roundup, September 1, 2026; Roll Call, September 1, 2026).

US Political Rank keeps Massachusetts on the Solid Democrat line of its 2026 Senate races ranking and tracks the open governor contests on 2026 governor races. A Solid Democrat Senate rating and a contested Republican governor primary can be true on the same Tuesday. So can a 28 point UMass primary lead and a finished count that still has to be tabulated after polls close.

AP's Massachusetts primary results page was live overnight with zero percent of the Senate vote counted before polls opened, which is exactly how a primary morning should look (Associated Press elections project, August 31 update into September 1). The count starts after 8 p.m. Until then the public record is the polling strip, the FEC cash figures, and Cook's November rating.

Read the day for what it is. Massachusetts is choosing nominees. Emerson and UMass both printed Markey near 60 percent in late surveys. Cook still prints the November seat as Solid Democrat. The chamber fight that decides majority control sits in Michigan, North Carolina, Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, New Hampshire, and the other competitive cells, not in a Solid Democrat primary. Print the Bay State receipts. Do not invent a national wave from them.