Wisconsin's Primary Election Saw Historic Voter Turnout

Turnout in Wisconsin's election on Tuesday reached a historic peak unseen for 60 years for a presidential year partisan primary, with over 26% of the state's voting-age population participating, according to unofficial results. The voters who came to the polls dismissed two proposed constitutional amendments aimed at curbing the governor's fiscal powers. This election notably took place under freshly established legislative maps, leading to numerous tightly contested races, including local offices.

The city of Madison, a pronounced Democratic enclave, boasted a 45% turnout—a record for any fall partisan turnout within the last 40 years. Just over 1.2 million voters cast their votes on the proposed amendments, representing slightly more than 26% of the eligible voter population, which hovers around 4.7 million.

In 1964, nearly 28% of eligible voters turned up to vote, as reported by the Wisconsin Elections Commission. In terms of midterm primary records, 27% of the voting-age population turned out in 2022, which saw a contentious Republican primary for governor and a Democratic Senate race. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)