A closely contested GOP gubernatorial race and multiple vacancies in the state Assembly and Senate should lead to a record turnout for the primary election Tuesday, according to the state Government Accountability Board.
The GAB announced Monday they are expecting a voter participation level of 28 percent, a record amount for a primary election. The high projected turnout is due partially to the competitive race with no incumbent for the governor’s office and a competitive primary for the Republican nomination for governor, said Reid Magney, spokesperson for the GAB.
A large number of vacancies in the Assembly and the Senate, as well as the race to fill the seat of retiring Democrat Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., in the 7th congressional district also contributed to the high predicted voter participation, Magney said.
“Obviously the voter turnout will be higher in November,” Magney added.
Another factor that makes this election stand out from other fall primaries is heightened public awareness, said Charles Franklin, political science professor at the University of Wisconsin.
Franklin said lack of citizen interest is the reason why primary elections usually have such low turnout.
“Turnout varies a lot but is somewhere in the mid- to low-20s in a fall primary like this one,” Franklin said.
Tuesday’s primary voter turnout is expected to be the highest since 1964, which was 27.9 percent, according to Magney.
Although Tuesday’s turnout is expected to be record breaking, it is not necessarily an impressive percentage of the voter population and could always benefit from being higher, said Andrea Kaminski, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin League of Women Voters.
“High turnout can only be good for any election. As it is they’re expecting a record high turnout for a fall primary, but I have to tell you what they’re expecting is 28 percent turnout. That’s record high, but it would be better if it were even higher,” Kaminski said. “We think the more voters we have the more choice we all have and the stronger our voice in the election.”
