Primary turnout hits historic low
For all the talk of an energized electorate, and even with the new opportunity to vote early, turnout in Tuesday’s primaries was the lowest in for a gubernatorial election year in Maryland going back at least to 1982, the earliest year for which records were available.
Of Maryland’s 3,167,846 eligible voters, 761,413 cast ballots in the primaries, for a turnout of 24.04 percent, according to unofficial counts released Thursday by the State Board of Elections. The numbers do not yet include provisional or absentee ballots, but judging from previous elections, these are unlikely to be enough to push the total over the state’s previous low of 28.64 percent in in 1998.
This year, 2.44 percent of the electorate took advantage of early voting, offered for six days at central locations in each county; 21.6 percent voted on Tuesday, the traditional primary day, when local polling places were open.
In spite of a competitive Democratic primary for state's attorney, Baltimore saw a lower-than-average turnout of 21.49 percent. Baltimore County, venue for a comeptitive race for county executive, had a turnout of 29.45 percent.
Two of Maryland's least populous counties, meanwhile, distinguished themselves in electoral enthusiasm: Garrett County led the state with 39.59 percent turnout, including 35.09 percent on Tuesday. Talbot county led in early voting participation with 6.78 percent.
Statewide turnout in 2006, the last gubernatorial election, was 29.6 percent. That might have been driven in part by a competitive Democratic primary race between Benjamin L. Cardin and Kweisi Mfume for the open Senate seat vacated that year by retiring Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes.
Categories: Early voting, Primaries 2010
Comments
You refer to 3 million-plus "eligible voters." Does this number include all Marylanders who could possibly vote, or only those who are registered to vote?
Posted by: c mac | September 16, 2010 4:36 PM
Hard to get motivated for a Morton's Fork
Posted by: Scott Goering | September 16, 2010 9:00 PM
As a registered " Independent" voter, my voice was silenced ..... I have no right to vote!
Posted by: L. Evans | September 16, 2010 10:31 PM
State officials estimated that adding Early Voting for the Primary Election cost state and local governments over $3 million. So much for increasing voter participation. All we've managed to do is further strain already tight state and local budgets. I wish the government would stop trying to be so helpful. We're getting buried under the cost of all of their good intentions.
Posted by: Chestertownie | September 17, 2010 7:36 AM
hi
Posted by: me | September 17, 2010 5:44 PM
This sanctuary state of illegals that omalley caters too must be on vacation!!
I've been hearing biotching all year that we need new leaders and when it comes time to put up or shut up, they shut up!! Are people that lazy or don't they have families, children and grandchildren they worry about? Nobody in their family out of work while illegal aliens working everywhere stealing jobs from our families? Wake up people. Get up off lazy butts and do
something different. Vote out omalley, babs, vallario, guittierez, and others that have catered to illegal aliens instead of citizens. We taxpayers paid out almost $2billion last year to illegal aliens and casa de md.. wake up..
Posted by: jackie | September 17, 2010 6:25 PM
Will the true reporters, please step up?! Voter turnout was low because political incumbents wanted it low. Low turnout favors incumbency. Party leaders and incumbents engaged in exactly zero GOTV efforts for either early voting or for primary election day. The low turn-out was not happenstance. It was the plan!
What wold it take to get some in-depth reporting? Perhaps some historic analysis? What?!
Posted by: Baltimore Businessman | September 19, 2010 11:35 AM
@L. Evans wrote 'As a registered " Independent" voter, my voice was silenced ..... I have no right to vote!'
You chose not to participate in the Primary election by not affiliating with a party. Those are the rules and you played under them.
It is too easy to change your affiliation for the party of your choice for the Primary - fill out a form and drop it in the mail. You made the choice not to vote. Only you can fix it.
Posted by: Bruce Robinson | September 19, 2010 11:35 AM