Voter Surge Will Challenge States

Report Read time:
Voter Surge Will Challenge States

With a historic presidential race expected to drive huge numbers of people – particularly first-time voters – to the polls, states have a lot of work in store to ensure that every vote counts.

This year's presidential primaries showed that the problems that made headlines in the past – with voter registration rolls, identification requirements and voting machine glitches – have been upstaged by a new difficulty. The huge turnout that whittled the presidential race to Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain overwhelmed some states and counties, according to a July 24 report, 2008 Primary in Review, by electionline.org, a project of the Pew Center on the States that tracks election reform efforts.

“Some places were unprepared. Some places just couldn't handle it,” said Dan Seligson, electionline.org's publications manager. “Even though they knew that there would be a massive number of voters, they just didn't have the capacity.” 

Of the November election, he added, “People know it's going to be a historically high turnout. Whether they can do anything about it is another question.” 

Poor ballot design – which some believe helped George W. Bush defeat Al Gore in 2000 – is also a concern, according to a July 20 report by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.  In every election, “tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of voters (are) disenfranchised … sometimes raising serious questions about whether the intended choice of the voters was certified as the winner,” the report stated.

In recent years, states have had their hands full replacing outdated voting equipment. Some have had to switch gears after purchasing new ATM-like electronic machines to add paper trails that allow votes to be verified. Election officials also have been developing statewide computerized voter registration lists.
 
But this year's election presents a new challenge. Almost 58 million people voted in the primaries, about 64 percent of them in the Democratic race, reported electionline.org, which, like Stateline.org, is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Of the 40 states that held presidential primaries along with Washington, D.C., 36 saw primary turnout reach an eight-year high. In Kentucky, the Democratic primary alone had more voters than the governor's general election contest in 2007.

Read the full report Voter Surge Will Challenge States on Stateline.org.

Pew is no longer active in this line of work, but for more information, please visit electionline.org.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

About a dozen people stand examining large blue bins full of whole fish in a warehouse. Some people are in green clothes, others in blue, and all wear ballcaps. A few hold clipboards. Reducing Risk Strengthens the Seafood Supply Chain
A worker in a seafood market dumps bright orange shrimp from a blue bin onto a bed of ice between a lot of other seafood laid out for sale. Other workers are visible in the background, as are the arms of shoppers placing orders from the other side of the ice bed. Seafood Industry Benefits From Greater Vessel Transparency
An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.