Voter Turnout Numbers Could Set Record

Oct. 24, 2008 — -- This election may turn out to be a historic one, not just for the candidates, but for voters as well.

Analysts expect voter turnout numbers to beat 2004 levels -- when 60 percent of all eligible citizens came out to the polls -- and possibly even set a record.

It's difficult to gauge the magnitude of voter turnout for now, but if more than 66 percent of eligible voters turn up at the polls, election participation will be the highest it has been in a century, said Michael McDonald, an associate professor at George Mason University in Virginia.

In 1908, nearly 66 percent of eligible citizens voted in the presidential race between William Howard Taft and William Jennings Bryan.

"Usually, what happens is that early voting starts off as a trickle," McDonald said. "This time, it is starting off as a spigot. Already, we are seeing record levels of early voting. Georgia has seen more early votes than in all 2004."

The rise can be partially attributed to more options for early and absentee voting, which make it easier for voters to cast their ballot. A weak economy is also expected to draw bigger crowds to the polls as the financial crisis leads citizens to become more involved in politics, analysts say.

But even if more than 60 percent of eligible voters cast their votes, that would still leave about 40 percent missing from the polls, which is plentiful when compared to other established democracies in the world.

Dallas Morning News' editorial columnist Rod Dreher is one of those eligible voters who does not plan to vote this year. This is the Republican's first time not voting since he cast his first ballot as a college student in 1988.

"It's not because I am apathetic; it is because I am filled with sheer disgust," he said. "I am just tired of voting for the lesser of the two evils."

Dreher is part of the 40 percent of Americans, or more, who are unlikely to show up at the polls this year. Many of these citizens, like Dreher, cannot relate to either of the candidates, or they have little trust in government.