NORMAN — Seasoned election watchers who predicted a low-to- moderate voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary election, said results were proving them to be right on target.
Keith Gaddie, political science professor at the University of Oklahoma, said many Cleveland County precincts were experiencing low voter turnout.
This was especially true in decidedly Democratic precincts, Gaddie said.
“Implication of this is that conservative candidates seeking judgeships in the Cleveland County area were probably getting more votes than liberal candidates,” Gaddie said.
“We’ll see if voters are playing favorites with judicial candidates,” Gaddie said. If Jonathan Nichols or Greg Dixon finish outright, it will be due to heavy conservative support, he said.
Cleveland County precinct workers reported a steady turnout of voters. But the numbers did not appear to be setting any records.
The workers said they wish more people had shown up to vote because the precincts were geared up to handle many more voters.
“We tell people to go home and tell their neighbors to come vote,” said Carol McGehee, a precinct worker for 18 years.
About one in 10 eligible voters in Precinct 28 had cast ballots at Classen Boulevard Baptist Church, McGehee said.
It was a far cry from the 2008 general election vote when Barack Obama was on the ballot, she said. About two-thirds of the eligible voters came to the polls on general election day because they wanted Obama to win, McGehee added.
However, officials said the turnout was comparable to the primary election four years ago.
It appeared that a small number of independents voted in this primary.
Across town at the Precinct 71 voting site in Sooner Mall, less than a handful of independents had voted.
Precinct 71 worker Jack Shilling said only five or six voters registered independents came to the polls to cast ballots in the judgeship races.
Shilling said he didn’t think many of the independents thought they were eligible to vote in this election.
Cleveland County election board officials said they cannot remember a primary race with three candidates seeking a judge post in a primary election.
Across Cleveland County, as of July 2, Republicans led the way with 56,930 active voters; Democrats had 49,539, and independents, 14,380 voters.
