Politics & Government

Long Lines, New ID Law Don't Deter Voters: Wisconsin Primary Elections: Coverage and Results (UPDATED)

Sites saw strong turnouts, maybe the biggest in a state presidential primary since '80. Plus, get inside the minds of Wisconsin voters.

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UPDATED (12:47 a.m. Wednesday, April 6):

Long lines and a new voting ID law weren't much of a deterrent to voters during Tuesday's Wisconsin primary with the state's election board projecting that turnout could be 40 percent of eligible voters, The Associated Press reports.

If that projection bears out, Tuesday's turnout would be the largest for the state in a presidential primary election since 1980.

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The strong voter showing translated into strong primary showings for both parties' second-place candidates. Ted Cruz handily defeated GOP front runner Donald Trump in the Republican race, and Bernie Sanders won the Democratic contest over Hillary Clinton.

During his victory speech Tuesday night to supporters in Wyoming, Sanders even equated his campaign's primary and caucus wins with large voter turnouts. His message: The more people who go to the polls and vote during a contest, the better his chances of winning that contest.

New Voter ID Law? No Problem

Wisconsin voters also had to contend with a new state voter ID law requiring voters to have photo identification to cast a ballot. Although this was the second election in the state under the law, some experts were concerned that as many 300,000 could be turned away Tuesday. Anecdotal media reports, however, did not indicate a rash of eligible registered voters being stopped from voting at polling places.

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In fact, voters weren't just waiting at some sites to cast their ballots, but some were waiting simply to register to vote. That's especially the case with sites that had a high student population, such as Marquette University.

A similar scene played out at Appleton's Lawrence University, according to the Appleton Post-Crescent. At 7:30 p.m., about 35 people were in line to register to vote, while 40 to 50 people waited to vote. Polls closed throughout the
state at 8 p.m., but anyone in line before that time could cast a ballot.

Badger State Isn't That Angry: Exit Polls

Exit polling for CNN showed that 53 percent of GOP primary voters said they are angry with the government and 32 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the government. And while that may seem high, it's actually lower compared to earlier primary states.

That may be why Trump's message did not resonate here as much as it has elsewhere.

Google Trends Looks at How Voters Think

Google Trends made several observations about public sentiment regarding the candidates and the Wisconsin primaries on Tuesday as reflected in Google search queries.


UPDATED (Tuesday, April 5):

Ted Cruz has won Wisconsin for the Republicans, and Bernie Sanders won for the Democrats. Both scored convincing victories, and the races were called early.

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Long lines were reported at polling sites in and around the Milwaukee area, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, reflecting the intense interest in these primaries and Wisconsin's unusual and unexpected role as a battleground for the presidency.

At some polling places, the wait wasn't just to vote, but also to register to vote. That's especially the case with sites that have a high student population, such as Marquette University.

With no other primary taking place on this day, Tuesday's Wisconsin results proved to be game-changing and carry implications for the campaigns over the next two weeks as they head to New York, where the next big primary will take place.

This could be the highest turnout since the 1980 presidential campaign. The government accountability board projects a 40 percent turnout of eligible Wisconsin voters. The clerk in Waukesha County predicted 80 percent turnout.

Exit polling for CNN showed that 53 percent of GOP primary voters said they are angry with the government and 32 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the government. And while that may seem high, it's actually lower compared to earlier primary states.

That may be why Trump's message did not resonate here as much as it has elsewhere.

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Google Trends made several observations about public sentiment regarding the candidates and the Wisconsin primaries on Tuesday as reflected in Google search queries.

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