Voter turnout is usually low for primaries and it was even lower for Tuesday’s elections in west central Illinois.
2014 isn't a presidential election year and you have to register party affiliation to vote in a primary. As a result, most west central Illinois counties saw very low voter turnout.
Western Illinois University Political Science Professor Keith Boeckelman said he expects turnout in November to range between 30 and 40 percent largely due to the Governor’s race between venture capitalist Bruce Rauner (R) and incumbent Governor Pat Quinn (D) .
"Once this race gets going, because there is some a dramatic difference between the two candidates, Rauner and Quinn, I think you will see a lot of interest in this race," Boeckelman said. "People are just not clued in right now except the people who are really into politics."
2014 Primary Election Turnout:
- City of Galesburg: 14%
- Fulton County: 25%
- Hancock County: 17%
- *Henderson County: 40%
- Knox County: 14%
- McDonough County: 18%
- *Schuyler County: 36%
- Warren County: 18%
(*)Henderson and Schuyler Counties were the exceptions registering higher than average turnout for a primary election. Both counties had hotly contested sheriff races.
Schuyler County reports a large number of residents even changed their party affiliation in order to vote for Republican Bill Redshaw who did receive the GOP nomination for county sheriff and will face Democrat Kevin Murray in the November election.
