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Explore our coverage of government and politics.

Officials: Hotly-Contested Primary Races Drive Up Turnout And Early Voting

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Secretary of State Jim Condos credits stronger than expected turnout in Tuesday's primary to an increase in early ballots submitted.

Secretary of State Jim Condos is expecting strong voter turnout for Tuesday's primary election. Condos says the use of early ballots has surged across the state because of a number of highly-competitive contests.

State officials were concerned that voter turnout might be low this year because this is the first time that the primary election has been held on the second Tuesday in August.

Since 2010, the primary has taken place on the fourth Tuesday in August and before that it was held on the second Tuesday in September.

Condos has analyzed voter turnout results for the past eight primary elections.

Turnout in 2000 was just over 117,000 people largely due to a hotly contested Republican race for governor between Bill Meub and Ruth Dwyer.

Tuesday's Primary: Live Coverage And Full Results

Then the number of voters dropped by more than 50 percent for the next four primary elections because there were few statewide contested races.

But in 2010, turnout soared again with over 100,000 voters driven by a five-way race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

This year, there are highly contested elections for both the Democratic and Republican races for governor and the Democratic contest for lieutenant governor.

Based on his review, Condos says the actual calendar date of the primary is not the key factor in determining voter turnout.

"It just looks to me like it's really more about how big a contest it is between candidates," Condos says. "And obviously the more highly competitive that the race is the more people get drawn out."

"It's really more about how big a contest is between candidates and obviously the more highly competitive that the race is the more people get drawn out." — Secretary of State Jim Condos

In Montpelier, city officials are bracing for record voter turnout on Tuesday.

City Clerk John Odum says more people have voted using the early ballot system this year than the entire turnout for the primary election in 2014.

"We've been able to take a look at the early ballots come in, get a sense of how many are actually show up on election day and then do a pretty close projection for what turnout is going to be," Odum says. "So if that percentage is correct, we're looking at record-breaking turnout here for a primary election. I think that's without a question."

And Odum says the campaigns are actively urging their supporters to vote.

"Every year these campaigns get more sophisticated and more aggressive in doing that, and I think that's true this year too," Odum says. "So not only are there more campaigns working it, they learn more every year and they're better at it every year."

While polls open at different times in various communities on primary day, all polls must be stay open until 7 p.m.

Bob Kinzel has been covering the Vermont Statehouse since 1981 — longer than any continuously serving member of the Legislature. With his wealth of institutional knowledge, he answers your questions on our series, "Ask Bob."
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