A slow dribble of Island voters — readied with masks, hand sanitizer and yoga mats — headed to the polls Tuesday for the state primary election, with tight races for the junior senate seat topping both sides of the ballot. Polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. at stations across the Island.

Voters across the Island will head to the polls with hand sanitizer and face masks Tuesday for the Massachusetts state primary. Closely contested races for the state’s junior senate seat nomination top both ballots.

The vote of Martha’s Vineyard went for Joseph Walsh for congressman, Walter H. Renear for sheriff, and John W. Churchill for state senator in the three most keenly contested primaries Tuesday night. When the votes were counted, Mr. Renear was re-nominated by a large majority, Mr. Walsh had carried the island towns by 137, and Mr. Churchill was ahead in a close vote. Harold Winslow carried Gay Head and Chilmark in his contest with Mr. Walsh. Channing H. Cox became the Republican nominee with the island’s endorsement.

Mrs. Emma W. Terry, daughter of Ulysses E. Mayhew of West Tisbury, was the first woman to cast a vote at the primaries on Martha’s Vineyard.

Mirroring the state and much of the country, Martha’s Vineyard threw strong support to former Vice President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary on Super Tuesday.

Polls closed at 8 p.m after a day of steady voting in every Island town in the much-watched presidential primary.

Early voting begins today on Martha’s Vineyard in the run-up to the much-watched Super Tuesday presidential primary day next week. Polling will be held in every Island town running through Friday.

Early voting for the presidential primary election begins on Monday and town clerks around the Island report an increase in voter registration ahead of the closely watched race.

Today is the last day to register to vote for the Massachusetts primary, and Island town clerks will hold extended office hours.

The Vineyard voted in line with the rest of the commonwealth Tuesday, backing Democratic U.S. Cong. Edward Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez, a former naval special warfare lieutenant commander, in the state primary to replace Sen. John Kerry, who resigned in January to become secretary of state.

Town clerks reported relatively low turnout, around 19.5 per cent Islandwide, with slightly higher turnout in Chilmark and Tisbury, which also held town elections. The two town elections featured no contested races but several ballot questions related to spending, all of which passed.