Thread: 1 out of 5 AZ. voters to vote Tue.

AZ. Low turnout is predicted for Tuesday's primary elections

Posted: 08/23/2010
Last Updated: 43 minutes ago
By: Tim Vetscher

One out of every five voters is expected to vote in Tuesday's primary elections in Arizona.

Analysts say there are several reasons for the low turnout.

The first factor, experts claim, is the new date, August 24th.

That's two weeks earlier than what it was just a couple of years ago.

Another school of thought is that independent voters don't realize Arizona's is an open primary.

Independents can vote in the primary of their choosing but some independent voters incorrectly believe if they're not a registered Republican or Democrat, they don't get to vote in the primary but that isn't the case.

Last but not least, analysts say some of the major races have lost some of their suspense.

In the Governor's race, Terry Goddard is running unopposed on the Democratic side.

On the Republican side, several of Governor Brewer's opponents either suspended their campaign or dropped out altogether.

"The marquee races, Governor and Senator, don't have any suspense attached to them," said ABC15 political analyst Mike O'Neil.

O'Neil says many voters also don't realize the importance of the primary.

In races without an opponent in the general election, Tuesday's primary will determine the winner.

"This is much more important than the November election," said O'Neil. "The November election's outcome is almost always predetermined."

And, O'Neil says, the primary gives you a lot more options compared to the general election, where you may only have two or three choices.

"When you go to vote in November, if there's two choices and you don't like either of them, that could be because you didn't vote now," said O'Neil.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/state/low ... -elections

Kind of strange article but looked at the source and thought 'figures.'

How do the so-called 'analysts' know 1 in 5 voters will vote?

What does two weeks earlier have to do with anything?

I don't know about AZ but in CA if you're an Independent you're mailed a sample ballot telling you how you're allowed to vote, such as you can request a Rep. or Dem ballot to vote.

And with all Arizona has going with the federal government breathing down their back, people will turn out to vote for their governor and a senator. That's HUGE!

If this true I am very surprised. I would think AZ citizens would be all fired up this year.

Here in FL. we have early voting and we already have a record breaking turnout. Everyone is surprised by the hugh number of voters in the primary.

'Voter Apathy' Could Mean Low Primary Turnout

Updated: Monday, 23 Aug 2010, 10:40 PM MDT
Published : Monday, 23 Aug 2010, 10:40 PM MDT

PHOENIX - The candidates in several heated races will be decided Tuesday, and there's a lot at stake. Normally we've seen a lot of interest in primary races, but election officials are predicting low voter turnout -- why?

With all the publicity and airtime, you'd think voters would be rushing to the polls, but that may not be the case.

The Secretary of State's Office is expecting 20-25 percent of voters to hit the polls Tuesday. That's because turnout is typically low in an off-year election, in between presidential election years, and because the primary is in August, instead of September, and many Arizona snowbirds haven't returned to the valley yet.

Political analyst Mike O'Neil has his theory. "It has been a pretty nasty campaign in some of the races. There has been fighting back and forth and it may not be clear who is telling the truth. That may induce some voters to wait until the last minute -- there may be a little bit of a surge on Election Day -- but probably the biggest factor in suppressing turnout is the fact that the big enchiladas, the gubernatorial and senatorial nominations, appear to be fixed. And those are the marquee contests that tend to bring people in to vote."

Polls show that John McCain has a big lead over JD Hayworth, and the governor's race between Jan Brewer and Terry Goddard won't be addressed until the November election.

It's hard to get people to get interested in some races and they may tune out if a race doesn't affect them personally. FOX 10's Andrew Hasbun has more on 'voter apathy.'

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/el ... -8-23-2010

a low turnout could favor Hayworth.

W

RELATED

D.O.J. to Monitor Elections in Arizona

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-210257.html

Originally Posted by jean

Kind of strange article but looked at the source and thought 'figures.'

How do the so-called 'analysts' know 1 in 5 voters will vote?

What does two weeks earlier have to do with anything? . . .

The Secretary of State's Office is expecting 20-25 percent of voters to hit the polls Tuesday. That's because turnout is typically low in an off-year election, in between presidential election years, and because the primary is in August, instead of September, and many Arizona snowbirds haven't returned to the valley yet.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by jean

Kind of strange article but looked at the source and thought 'figures.'

How do the so-called 'analysts' know 1 in 5 voters will vote?

What does two weeks earlier have to do with anything? . . .

The Secretary of State's Office is expecting 20-25 percent of voters to hit the polls Tuesday. That's because turnout is typically low in an off-year election, in between presidential election years, and because the primary is in August, instead of September, and many Arizona snowbirds haven't returned to the valley yet.

Guess we'll see but it seems some are actually hoping for a low turnout.

Low voter turnout VIDEO @

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/state/low ... -elections

Originally Posted by jean

Guess we'll see but it seems some are actually hoping for a low turnout.

I don't know about The AZ. Secretary of State's Office accuracy in predicting the percent of voters

but the San Diego County Registrar of Voters Office usually predicts within 1 or 2 percent.