Wisconsin Update: Total Recall voter turnout ‘just wild’

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that voters and public officials are reporting long lines at many Wisconsin polling places Tuesday — with Dane County Clerk Karen Peters calling the local turnout "just wild" so far. Turnout 'just wild' at polling stations around state (this morning):

"It ranges from 28 to 42 percent already; it is a huge turnout. We could hit 80 to 88 percent," Peters said of Dane County's turnout. At midday, she was fielding calls wrapping up a status report from local clerks.

Sun Prairie's four polling places were steadily busy, logging nearly 5,000 votes through 11 a.m., said Arrin Linzenmeyer of the clerk's office. There were lines as the day started — also reported at many polling places in the county as voters anticipated extended longer waits as the day progressed.

In Madison, City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl said turnout was at 26 percent by 11 a.m., which was an orphan number because, she said, "we really have nothing to compare it to." That percentage is the 42,961 votes case of 165,312 registered.

However, she said, "typically the numbers will double from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then double again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m."

State election officials had predicted that between 60 to 65 percent of the voting age population, or about 2.6 to 2.8 million people, will cast regular and absentee ballots in the historic recall election that pits Republican Gov. Scott Walker against Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

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The state Government Accountability Board was hearing reports of strong turnout across the state, spokesman Reid Magney said.

The GAB had heard of relatively few problems at polling places.

Election officials in Milwaukee had to call in extra poll workers to accommodate demand at the polls.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Craig Gilbert explained today that:

Turnout is extremely unlikely Tuesday to match the 2008 presidential race, when almost 3 million votes were cast in Wisconsin.

But if turnout is in the very bullish range predicted by state election officials — 2.6 to 2.8 million — that could be good news for Democrats. That’s because the Democratic coalition includes voting groups — minorities, lower-income voters, young voters — that typically turn out at lower rates.

Voter turnout this morning at least appears to be running well above the 60-65 percent turnout originally anticipated. Keep making those phone calls to Wisconsin voters! A big turnout spells v-i-c-t-o-r-y!