APPLETON (NBC 26) — Turnout for a partisan primary is usually relatively low compared to general elections. Will that be the case this Tuesday? Voters weigh in.
- Many voters say they don't know whether or how they will vote.
- Some voters in Appleton say they're interested in the 8th congressional race or the ballot referendums.
- Video shows voter reactions.
(The following is a transcript of the full broadcast story.)
Voters in Wisconsin will soon cast their votes in the August partisan primary—but, typically voter turnout for these elections isn’t very high.
I’m Margaret Cahill in Appleton, and I asked voters whether they were planning on casting their ballots on Tuesday.
"To be honest with you, I don't know who I'm voting for yet," said voter Gazelle Noak.
And, that’s the reaction I got from most voters I spoke to in Appleton.
Partisan primaries, like the one on Tuesday, typically don’t get a lot of attention.
According to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, in 2020, only about 21 percent of eligible voters turned out for the partisan primary, compared to 72 percent who then turned out for the general election that year.
"That's what I would be interested in, the presidential," voter Nathan Jahner said.
But, I spoke with many people who say they vote in every election.
"When I'm 74 years old, you gotta, gotta vote for somebody, right?" voter George Carlson said.
But, many voters I talked to said they still haven’t decided how they’ll vote.
"I'm going to do some research tonight, and then we'll see," voter Quinton Fye said.
Tuesday’s primary will also feature two referendums, which is energizing some voters.
"I'm especially looking forward to voting on the referendums," voter Carrie Zoromski said.
Despite the fact that neither Former President Donald Trump nor Vice President Kamala Harris will be on the ballot in the primary, many voters tell me national politics is influencing their thinking in this election.
Polls are open on Tuesday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
