Primary Voter Turnout Believed Low, Exact Numbers Unknown

Voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary may not be known for several days. The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board says it has not finished counting votes cast for U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin, who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary.

The GAB was predicting 20 percent turnout.Turnout for fall primaries over the past six years have ranged from just shy of 9 percent, to more than 16.5 percent.

Marquette University political scientist Amber Wichowski says low turnout may have helped Tommy Thompson win the Republican senate primary. “You get the party enthusiasts who are more likely to vote, and we do see that reflected in the numbers.In the counties where [Eric] Hovde won, in most of those counties, Thompson came in second place.Likewise, in the counties where [Mark] Neumann won, Thompson was coming in second.”

Experts say the low turnout may have been due in part to voter fatigue after Governor Walker’s recall election.