Experts confounded: Turnout higher in Ohio in 2004 [View All]

Friday, November 7, 2008 3:20 AM
By Mark Niquette
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
DispatchPolitics

Despite a record number of registered voters this year, intense interest in the presidential election and the historic outcome, Ohio's voter turnout was lower Tuesday than in 2004, unofficial statistics show.

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is reporting 67 percent turnout, compared with 72 percent in 2004. She had been predicting 80 percent turnout this time. The percentage could increase as provisional ballots, overseas ballots and other outstanding votes are included during the official canvass in the coming weeks. But overall turnout still is expected to be lower than in 2004, leaving experts at a loss to explain it -- especially because the number of registered voters increased by 319,000 from four years ago.

"That's rather puzzling, given the activity level," said Paul Beck, a political-science professor at Ohio State University.

The total number of votes cast Tuesday declined in 69 of Ohio's 88 counties when compared with official totals from 2004. In Franklin County, for example, about 10,000 fewer votes were cast this year.

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/11/07/copy/turnout.ART_ART_11-07-08_A1_4GBQO6M.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
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Hmmm....without doing any digging, I'm wondering if this provides any evidence for 2004 fraud. Suppose that totals in 04 were inflated by fake votes for Bush...could it be?