The city of Madison held its own during the 2004 elections by casting a record-breaking number of votes. Madison residents cast 138,452 ballots during the Tuesday elections, a number representing approximately 80 percent of the eligible voters in the city.

“The turnout was phenomenal,” Melanie Conklin, communications director for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said.

Conklin said the 2004 turnout is “significantly higher” than the 2000 election city turnout. According to a city release, approximately 118,000 votes were cast during the 2000 election in Madison.

“I’m ecstatic with the record voter turnout. We did our part,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.

Madison, Dane County and Wisconsin generally have high voter turnouts when compared to the rest of the country, Verveer added.

“In part, it’s because Wisconsin is among the very small number of states allowing [Election] Day registration,” Verveer said. “And I know as an election officer … it makes a huge difference on campus.”

Verveer said Election Day registration allows a convenient way for students to register at the polls and facilitate increased voting.

“I would say that [University of Wisconsin] students and Madison residents overall think this election was one of the most important elections of our lifetime,” Verveer said.

The numbers spoke for themselves, breaking down with 102,397 people casting their votes for Sen. John Kerry, 74 percent of the eligible vote in the city, and with 34,212 people casting their votes for President George W. Bush, 24.75 percent.

Ralph Nader was able to secure 808 ballots, making up only a little more than one half of a percent of the vote.

In two landslide victories, Sen. Russ Feingold captured 107,711 votes, 78.8 percent, and U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin won with 181,025 votes, or 67 percent of the vote.

“In a very dreary day, the mayor was very disappointed with [the] national election, but it was the silver lining for the resound[ing] victory for Baldwin and Feingold,” Conklin said. “They are unabashedly progressive.”

Conklin added the high turnout was tallied along with the efficiency of the city clerk’s office to process more than 23,000 absentee ballots on Election Day.

According to Conklin, the Madison City Clerk’s Office deserved credit for being well prepared. There were more than 160,000 ballots at polling places around the city and another 40,000 were printed for backup.

More than 960 poll workers outnumbered the 570 people who worked during the 2000 election, helping to keep lines moving.

“I think everyone knew how much was at stake. It was very, very close grounds,” Conklin said. “Wisconsin was a swing state in 2000, but I think it had an even bigger emphasis during this election.”

Conklin added there were many student, state and national groups working to get out the vote in Wisconsin.

“I think … the issue of the war really galvanized people, whether they were pro or con, it really drove people to the polls,” Conklin said.

Verveer also said he has never seen such a high interest and enthusiasm in students voting in Madison.

“I thought it was great that people got out to the polls, especially students,” said UW freshman Anna Hundt Golden.

Hundt Golden said Madison is “its own little sphere” that does not represent the majority of the country because it tends to be idealistically liberal.

“This is such a peace-loving community and I don’t think people went out and voted because they wanted to not vote for the war, but because they are opposed to it,” Hundt Golden said.

She added the groups working on campus as well as the fliers and phone calls helped push the student vote during the election.