Wisconsin Turnout Highest in Presidential Primary Since 1972
The line of students waiting to vote at Marquette University wrapped back and forth throughout the entire first floor of the Alumni Memorial Union, with some students waiting more than two hours to get to the polls.
By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel
It was predicted to be huge and historic.
But it was bigger than that.
Wisconsin’s turnout rate in Tuesday’s presidential primary exceeded the state’s own bullish forecast, topped any Wisconsin primary since 1972, and easily bested that of any state that has voted this year except for New Hampshire.
Nearly 2.1 million Wisconsinites voted, based on unofficial returns.
Essentially, half the people that could vote did vote: roughly 47% of the state’s voting-age population and an estimated 49% of all eligible voting-age citizens.
“That’s unusual,” said turnout expert Michael McDonald, for a contest “this late in the presidential election calendar.”
"I thought it was an astounding number," said Barry Burden of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
McDonald said a confluence of factors came together in Wisconsin: a long-lasting, high-interest nominating fight on both sides; heavy spending and advertising; a stand-alone primary where the candidates focused all their attention on a single state; concurrent presidential, state and local elections; and Wisconsin’s open primary and election-day registration, which makes for lower barriers to voting.
Turnout was seven points higher than what state election officials predicted.
It was the highest turnout for the Wisconsin presidential primary since 1972.
"That's reaching levels that some states have in general elections," said Burden, an elections expert.
Of the more than 30 states that have voted in presidential primaries and caucuses this year, only one – New Hampshire – turned out at a higher rate, according to data compiled by McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida.
McDonald said it was a lesson for states that “stumble over themselves” for earlier slots on the calendar only to end up getting lost in a Super Tuesday crowd of same-day primaries.
“It’s another lesson we should draw from Wisconsin,” said McDonald. “What makes a state special is if they’re (voting) by themselves.”
Burden said it "vindicates having a primary in April."
He said one added boost to turnout might have been Gov. Scott Walker's high profile in the campaign -- endorsing GOP winner Ted Cruz, getting attacked by Republican Donald Trump and by both Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
"He's polarizing enough and well known to everyone in the state. He's a mobilizing force" on both sides, said Burden.
More than a million votes were cast on the Democratic side and almost 1.1 million on the Republican side.
The Republican turnout, as percentage of the voting-age population, was the highest in a Wisconsin primary since 1980. The Democratic turnout was lower than in 2008, but the second highest since 1988.
But because it is so unusual in Wisconsin to have high-interest presidential primaries in both parties, the combined turnout was the biggest in 40 years.
While the Republican primary attracted about 10% more voters than the Democratic race, the difference wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it has been in some other states. In Ohio, for example, the GOP vote was 60% higher than the Democratic vote.
Follow Craig Gilbert on Twitter @WisVoter
By Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel
It was predicted to be huge and historic.
But it was bigger than that.
Wisconsin’s turnout rate in Tuesday’s presidential primary exceeded the state’s own bullish forecast, topped any Wisconsin primary since 1972, and easily bested that of any state that has voted this year except for New Hampshire.
Nearly 2.1 million Wisconsinites voted, based on unofficial returns.
Essentially, half the people that could vote did vote: roughly 47% of the state’s voting-age population and an estimated 49% of all eligible voting-age citizens.
“That’s unusual,” said turnout expert Michael McDonald, for a contest “this late in the presidential election calendar.”
"I thought it was an astounding number," said Barry Burden of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
McDonald said a confluence of factors came together in Wisconsin: a long-lasting, high-interest nominating fight on both sides; heavy spending and advertising; a stand-alone primary where the candidates focused all their attention on a single state; concurrent presidential, state and local elections; and Wisconsin’s open primary and election-day registration, which makes for lower barriers to voting.
Turnout was seven points higher than what state election officials predicted.
It was the highest turnout for the Wisconsin presidential primary since 1972.
"That's reaching levels that some states have in general elections," said Burden, an elections expert.
Of the more than 30 states that have voted in presidential primaries and caucuses this year, only one – New Hampshire – turned out at a higher rate, according to data compiled by McDonald, a political scientist at the University of Florida.
McDonald said it was a lesson for states that “stumble over themselves” for earlier slots on the calendar only to end up getting lost in a Super Tuesday crowd of same-day primaries.
“It’s another lesson we should draw from Wisconsin,” said McDonald. “What makes a state special is if they’re (voting) by themselves.”
Burden said it "vindicates having a primary in April."
He said one added boost to turnout might have been Gov. Scott Walker's high profile in the campaign -- endorsing GOP winner Ted Cruz, getting attacked by Republican Donald Trump and by both Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
"He's polarizing enough and well known to everyone in the state. He's a mobilizing force" on both sides, said Burden.
More than a million votes were cast on the Democratic side and almost 1.1 million on the Republican side.
The Republican turnout, as percentage of the voting-age population, was the highest in a Wisconsin primary since 1980. The Democratic turnout was lower than in 2008, but the second highest since 1988.
But because it is so unusual in Wisconsin to have high-interest presidential primaries in both parties, the combined turnout was the biggest in 40 years.
While the Republican primary attracted about 10% more voters than the Democratic race, the difference wasn’t nearly as dramatic as it has been in some other states. In Ohio, for example, the GOP vote was 60% higher than the Democratic vote.
Follow Craig Gilbert on Twitter @WisVoter
No comments:
Post a Comment