Area voters mirror state in results & low turnout

By BILL KNIGHT
For The Weekly Post

Despite substantial increases in early voting and mail-in ballot requests, the turnout for the March 17 primary election was bad – probably due to voters’ reluctance to venture out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unofficial numbers indicate that turnout will be worse than 2012’s primary, when 23.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots. That year – with President Obama running unopposed and Republicans choosing between Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich – has the lowest turnout in more than 50 years.

Matt Dietrich, public information officer with the Illinois State Board of Elections, said the primary was unique. “This is unprecedented,” he said. “This has never happened before in any of our lifetimes. Having an election held during this type of crisis is far from ideal.”

Peoria County recorded the highest of The Weekly Post’s three counties as 21.9 percent, followed by 21.5 percent in Knox and 20.8 percent in Fulton.