Democrats push voter turnout to 40-year high as 131 million cast ballots in presidential race

[marmar]

via the Chicago Tribune:



Democrats push voter turnout to 40-year high as 131 million cast ballots in presidential race
By Associated Press
4:52 PM CST, December 14, 2008


WASHINGTON (AP) — Enthusiasm among blacks and Democrats for Barack Obama's candidacy pushed voter turnout in this year's elections to the highest level in 40 years.

Final figures from nearly every state and the District of Columbia showed that more than 131 million people voted, the most ever for a presidential election. A little more than 122 million voted in 2004.

This year's total is 61.6 percent of the nation's eligible voters, the highest turnout rate since 1968, when Republican Richard M. Nixon defeated Democrat Hubert Humphrey, said Michael McDonald, a political science professor at George Mason University.

States finished certifying their election results this weekend, including California on Saturday. The Electoral College was scheduled to elect Obama president on Monday, with electors meeting in each state to vote in a largely ceremonial procedure.

Turnout increased for the third straight presidential election, encouraging news for those who have warned about voter apathy. Four years ago, 60.1 percent of those eligible voted.

"We seem to have restored the levels of civic engagement that we had in the 1950s and 1960s," McDonald said. "But we didn't break those levels." ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-ap-voter-turnout,0,7205920.story

[bluestateguy]

1. Our base was energized. Their's was not.

If their base had been mobilized, we might have seen turnout on the order of 64%-65%.

Having said that, I still believe Obama would have come out on top.

[Captain Hilts]

2. I sure wish just a few more of these voters had turned out in '00 or '04.

They, too, are responsible for GWB being elected - twice.

[marmar]

3. True.....but perhaps they weren't excited by the candidates.

Not to excuse apathy, but you've got to put butts in the seats, so to speak.

[Captain Hilts]

4. It seems to me that in '04 ousting Bush was pretty damned important. nt