2012 Presidential Nomination Contest Turnout Rates

Last Updated: 9/06/12

Please see the FAQ for information on the construction of these statistics. The demoninator data reflect the April 1, 2010 Census and July 1, 2010 voting-age population estimates extrapolated to 1st of the month of a 2012 nomination contest, non-citizen estimates from the 2010 American Community Survey (I have not extrapolated citizenship statistics since the 2009 ACS is not comparable as it is weighted to the 2000 census), the year-end 2010 DOJ prison report and the year-end 2010 DOJ probation and parole report.

VEP Total Ballots Cast Turnout Rate is the total ballots cast divided by the voting-eligible population or VEP. In instances where the two political parties did not simultaneously hold their nomination contests, the first instance reflects turnout of the first party to hold their context and the second instance reflects the total turnout of the two parties' contests combined and a turnout rate is reported for the two contests.

Again, please see the FAQ for more information.

For comparison purposes, you may wish to consult statistics for the 2008 and 2004 presidential primaries.

Date

State

Election
Type

VAP
Estimate

VEP
Estimate

Vote in Democratic Contest

Vote in Republican Contest

Minor
Party
Candidates

Total
Ballots
Cast

VEP
Total
Ballots
Cast
Turnout
Rate

Jan. 3

Iowa

Caucus

2,347,573

2,250,423

25,000

121,354

147,255

6.5%

Jan. 10

New Hampshire

Primary

1,034,045

1,001,914

61,777

249,534

311,311

31.1%

Jan. 21

South Carolina (a)

Primary - R

3,621,841

3,434,551

603,770

605,623

17.6%

Nevada

Caucus - D

2,064,446

1,770,920

Jan. 31

Florida

Primary

15,094,059

13,088,171

1,676,176

12.8%

Feb. 4

Nevada

Caucus - R

2,065,822

1,772,116

32,894

1.9%

Feb. 4-11

Maine

Caucus - R

1,053,285

1,036,235

5,814

0.6%

Feb. 7

Colorado

Caucus - R

3,926,310

3,603,764

66,027

1.8%

Minnesota

Caucus - R

4,075,214

3,837,237

48,916

1.3%

Missouri (b)

Primary

4,629,154

4,415,112

7.4%

Feb. 28

Arizona

Primary

4,895,942

4,298,024

510,258

561

511,812

11.9%

Michigan

Primary

7,547,125

7,241,314

194,887

996,499

1,191,386

16.5%

Mar. 3

Washington

Caucus - R

5,274,878

4,804,839

50,764

1.1%

Mar. 6

Alaska

Caucus - R

545,692

507,496

14,135

2.8%

Georgia

Primary

7,376,260

6,570,595

139,273

901,470

1,038,824

15.8%

Idaho

Caucus - R

1,165,366

1,091,171

44,672

4.1%

Massachusetts

Primary

5,207,006

4,720,547

157,563

370,425

1,554

529,542

11.2%

Minnesota

Caucus - D

4,077,730

3,839,640

17,376

0.5%

North Dakota

Caucus

534,626

524,296

11,349

2.2%

Ohio

Primary

8,854,904

8,593,587

1,203,403

14.0%

Oklahoma

Primary

2,895,300

2,723,104

112,771

286,523

399,294

14.7%

Tennessee

Primary

4,939,973

4,682,042

79,577

547,561

627,228

13.4%

Vermont

Primary

498,432

489,108

40,992

60,850

103,264

21.1%

Virginia

Primary - R

6,316,136

5,763,308

265,570

4.6%

Mar. 6-10

Wyoming

Caucus - R

433,545

420,205

1,308

0.3%

Mar.7

Hawaii

Caucus - D

1,084,589

978,968

Mar. 10

Kansas

Caucus - R

2,170,270

2,041,139

29,857

1.5%

Mar. 11

Maine

Caucus - D

4,516,897

4,443,776

Mar. 13

Alabama

Primary

3,701,519

3,506,778

205,767

621,916

871,025

24.8%

Hawaii

Caucus - R

1,084,589

978,968

10,228

1.0%

Mississippi

Primary

2,241,703

2,153,040

97,304

293,787

289,935

18.2%

Utah

Caucus - D

1,970,491

1,829,785

Mar. 17

Missouri

Caucus - R

4,632,138

4,418,020

Mar. 20

Illinois

Primary

9,817,603

8,853,948

652,717

933,454

929,031

17.9%

Mar. 24

Louisiana

Primary

3,499,821

3,304,711

150,601

186,410

337,011

10.2%

Apr. 3

District of Columbia

Primary

519,004

470,976

58,714

5,256

379

64,349

13.7%

Maryland

Primary

4,521,084

4,062,518

326,470

248,468

596,723

14.7%

Wisconsin

Primary

4,393,518

4,202,090

785,163

18.7%

Apr. 9

Alaska

Caucus - D

546,685

508,444

Apr. 14

Idaho

Caucus - D

1,166,534

1,092,288

Kansas

Caucus - D

2,172,187

2,042,955

Nebraska

Caucus - D

1,398,670

1,331,291

Wyoming

Caucus - D

433,776

420,432

Apr. 15

Washington

Caucus - D

5,286,850

4,815,828

Apr. 24

Connecticut

Primary

2,787,114

2,528,416

59,639

2.3%

Delaware

Primary

705,473

658,884

28,592

4.3%

New York

Primary

15,214,317

13,211,191

190,515

1.4%

Pennsylvania

Primary

10,007,504

9,624,165

616,102

808,115

1,424,217

14.8%

Rhode Island

Primary

833,091

765,324

8,106

14,564

22,670

3.0%

May 8

Indiana

Primary

4,945,762

4,748,647

221,446

635,589

957,510

20.2%

North Carolina

Primary

7,457,823

6,923,832

31.5%

West Virginia

Primary

1,479,209

1,453,549

179,908

112,416

293,519

20.2%

May 19 - Jun. 1

Colorado

Caucus - D

3,943,045

3,619,245

May 15

Nebraska

Primary

1,398,670

1,331,291

63,881

185,402

175

249,458

18.7%

Oregon

Primary

3,028,846

2,802,257

326,356

287,955

614,311

21.9%

May 22

Arkansas

Primary

2,252,326

2,114,416

162,647

152,360

335,885

15.9%

Kentucky

Primary

3,378,854

3,242,289

206,218

176,160

415,337

12.8%

May 29

Texas

Primary

18,989,257

15,915,758

590,164

1,449,477

2,039,641

12.8%

June 5

California

Primary

28,631,583

23,265,447

22.9%

Montana

Primary

778,794

767,519

88,202

140,457

238,771

31.1%

New Jersey

Primary

6,821,880

5,885,472

283,673

231,465

515,138

8.8%

New Mexico

Primary

1,589,265

1,443,135

146,823

92,930

239,753

16.6%

North Dakota

Caucus - D

536,179

525,824

South Dakota

Primary

627,383

611,746

15.0%

June 26

Utah

Primary - R

1,977,241

1,836,077

242,272

262,425

14.3%

Notes: Many states will not hold a Democratic nominating contest if only one candidate qualified for the ballot. (a) The South Carolina Democratic Party held reorganization meetings starting on Feb. 28. (b) The Feb. 7 Missouri primary is non-binding. The Missouri Republican Party chose convention delegates in a March 17 caucus.