Massachusetts' top elections official has chosen Sept. 4, the day after Labor Day, to hold the state's 2018 primary, and the announcement is facing some backlash from his primary opponent.
Secretary of State William Galvin also announced Tuesday that he is proposing a five-day early voting period that would take place before the primary election.
Galvin had struggled to finalize a date to hold the primary because the original date set by law, Tuesday, Sept. 18, conflicted with the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. The Tuesday prior to that, Sept. 11, also conflicted with the religious holiday of Rosh Hashanah.
According to Statehouse News, Josh Zakim, the Boston city councilor challenging Gavin to be the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, said the date was chosen by Zakim to suppress voter turnout.
Zakim said the day after Labor Day has never been chosen for the primary and that it makes government officials less accessible.
Holding an election on the day after Labor Day has been known to cause additional expenses for municipal officials and interfere with the start of the school year in some communities.
The proposed early voting period would require approval from the Legislature.
