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December 15, 2008
Turning Out Big Time
We are getting very close to the final certified figures for turnout and voting for the US elections. As AP reports, more than 131 million people voted, the most ever for a presidential election; and over 9 million more than in 2004. This year's total is 61.6 percent of the nation's eligible voters, the highest turnout rate since 1968.
Turnout increased for the third straight presidential election. There are a number of factors involved, but one of the main ones is simply yet again this was a very closely fought election.
And, drilling down through the numbers, a very clear pattern emerges. People turn out when they believe it is going to matter and they can make a difference to the result. As AP reports:
"Voter turnout increased substantially in newly competitive states such as Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina, which all went for Obama after decades of favoring Republican presidential candidates. Turnout also increased in some Republican states with large black populations, such as Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia.
North Carolina, which had competitive elections for president, governor and Senate, had the biggest increase in turnout, from 57.8 percent in 2004 to 65.8 percent this year. North Carolina Democratic Chairman Jerry Meek said: 'We were the only state in the country with a nationally targeted presidential race, gubernatorial race and Senate race.' "
Posted by malcolmclark on December 15, 2008
