In the 42 precincts of Cambridge's Ward 6, voters consistently referred to a sense of duty when asked why they were casting ballots.

Brenda S. Prescott, a Cantabrigian and registered Democrat, explained her compulsion to go to the polls.

"I have voted since I was 18 in almost every election," Prescott said. "It's the right thing for a citizen to do."

Like many of her neighbors, however, Prescott admitted she felt little attachment to any of the candidates.

James F. Simpson, a Cambridge resident officiating at the Quincy House polling station, offered an analysis of the languor surrounding the primary races.

"There is a lack of vital issues and a sense that the election is running without substance in the rhetoric," Simpson said.

On a day marked by apathy, some passions were aroused over the Republican gubernatorial race between Acting Gov. A. Paul Cellucci and his challenger, Treasurer Joseph D. Malone '78.

Ron J. Amidon of Wilmington, who as a registered "Undecided" can choose which party's ballot he will fill out upon arriving at the polls, conveyed firm opinions of the candidates' characters.

"I can't stand Malone," Wilmington said. "He's a joke."

After decrying Malone's alleged "donut fund" of state money, Wilmington endorsed Cellucci on the basis of his connection to his predecessor, former Gov. William F. Weld'66.

Despite the involvement of Harvard alumni like Malone and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Attorney General L. Scott Harshbarger '64 in several of the races, most Harvard students abstained from voting.

While some offered no excuse for their lack of political engagement, others cited obligations and connections to contests in their home states.

Andrew D. Sacher '01 of Texas explained that he remains registered there and plans to cast an absentee ballot.

"That's where my concerns lie," Sacher explained.

Asked to comment about other undergraduates who might vote in yesterday's primary, Sacher suggested that only a small minority of students were involved.