Primary turnout breaks 30 percent

Associated Press

Updated: May 9, 2012 5:27 PM

MADISON (AP) — Turnout for the recall primary election broke 30 percent, the highest for a partisan primary in Wisconsin in 60 years.

More than 1.3 million people cast ballots Tuesday, which equates to 30.2 percent of eligible voters statewide.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett won a four-way race for the Democratic nomination, while Republican Gov. Scott Walker easily overcame token opposition on the GOP side.

About 670,000 votes were cast for one of the Democratic candidates, with Barrett getting about 387,000 votes. About 646,000 votes were cast on the Republican side.

This is the first gubernatorial recall election in Wisconsin history so there are no comparable primaries with which to compare it. However, the previous high turnout for a regular fall primary was 38.9 percent in 1952 based on records dating to 1948.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Political Pulse

We welcome your thoughtful comments. Be the first to participate in the discussion. All comments will display your username and avatar.