Editor’s note: For exclusive precinct results as they come into the Reporter newsroom tonight, follow @DotNews on Twitter/X and BlueSky.
Polls are now closed across Boston in the preliminary election for mayor and city council. Polling was held today from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. at 274 precincts in 22 wards across the city.
Mayor Michelle Wu chatted with Dorchester resident Shawein Walker at the Lila Frederick School polling place on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 as state Rep. Chris Worrell looks on. Seth Daniel photo
City residents cast their first ballots on Aug. 30 in a round of early voting as candidates made their final push for support.
According to state election officials, 35,209 residents had already voted— most by using mail-in ballots— through Sept. 8. That number also included in-person ballots cast at select “early voting” locations between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5.
Above, Josh Kraft greeted voters outside the Cristo Rey High School at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Seth Daniel photo
As of noontime on Tuesday, voter turnout in Boston was 11.6% — or 49,650 total ballots cast so far, according to Election officials.
By 6 p.m., the turnout had improved only to roughly 18 percent— or 76,525 voters.
There are more than 460,000 registered voters in the city, based on a review of 2024 election data.
The preliminary election is getting extra attention from state officials this year following delays in the 2024 election caused by ballot shortages and communication problems.
Mayor Michelle Wu and District 4 Councillor Brian Worrell deliver lunch to the poll workers at the Lila Frederick School – a five precinct polling location in Dorchester. Wu, Worrell and state Rep. Chris Worrell paid for the lunch from Dorchester’s Cool Shades Jamaican Restaurant. Seth Daniel photo
Four candidates are listed on the ballot for mayor, including the incumbent, Michelle Wu, and three challengers: Josh Kraft, Domingos DaRosa, and Robert Cappucci. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. Wu is heavily favored to top the ticket, according to public polls.
In the 10-person contest for Boston City Council-at-Large, the eight top finishers will advance to the next round. There are also contested elections for district seats, including District 4, where incumbent Brian Worrell is being challenged by Juwan Skeens and Helen Cameron.
In District 7, there are 11 men and women running to replace Tania Fernandes-Anderson, who resigned earlier this summer after admitting her guilt in a kick-back scheme involving city funds.
Both mayoral candidates are making multiple appearances across the city today at polling locations.
Mayor Wu, during a stop at the Lila Frederick School on Columbia Road, was asked if she felt “comfortable” with what pre-election polls show as a sizable lead.
“There’s no such thing as a lead,” Wu responded. “There’s only one number that counts. And polls don’t vote. People vote. Residents got to get out there, and we’re gonna be working hard all day to make sure that, the weather’s no excuse, people.
She added: “Remind your family, remind your friends, call your neighbors. Make sure that everyone has made a plan. If you didn’t get to go this morning before dropping the kids off at school or getting to work, it’s going to be clear weather after work as well. So come on out until 8 p.m.”
The Reporter caught up to Josh Kraft outside the Cristo Rey High School on Savin Hill Avenue in Dorchester around 3 p.m. We asked how his first-ever election day experience as a candidate was going.
“Look, what we’ve seen is— in the end— it’s all about voters,” said Kraft. “It’s not about media, it’s not about the polls, it’s about voters, how they feel and exercising their right to vote because that is the cornerstone of democracy.”
He added: “A couple places we’ve heard that voters have gone in anger because they’re looking for change.”
Josh Kraft’s campaign schedule also includes stops this afternoon at Dorchester’s Florian Hall and Lower Mills Library.
Follow DotNews.com for election updates and to read more about the policy positions of the at-large candidates.
