Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowCompetitive and highly publicized races in Indiana’s May 3 primary election drove more voters to the polls than four years ago, but Hoosiers couldn’t beat the turnout in the 2008 primary.
Voter turnout was 38 percent in this year’s primary election—1.77 million of Indiana’s 4.7 million registered voters performed their civic right—compared with 40 percent in 2008.
Turnout easily beat the dismal 2012 primary total, where just 22 percent of registered voters cast a vote.
“When Hoosiers are excited about candidates, it drives turnout,” said Secretary of State Connie Lawson in a written statement. “When you compare the turnout numbers for this year and 2008, the last time presidential candidates were in the state, you can see a correlation. When voters are motivated, it gets them to the polls.”
Marion County had 33 percent voter turnout, with 220,903 of its 675,573 registered voters heading to the polls.
Billionaire Donald Trump won Indiana’s Republican primary, which essentially clinched his position as the Republican Party nominee. Ted Cruz campaigned hard in Indiana, and many believed he saw it as his last chance to stop Trump.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders was victorious in the Democratic primary against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who won the state’s primary against Barack Obama in 2008.
Early voting was also on the rise. Sixteen percent of voters did so this year, as opposed to 12 percent in 2012 and 11 percent in 2008.
Vermillion County had the highest voter turnout in the state at 51 percent.
Scott County had the lowest voter turnout in the state at 30 percent.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.