Voter turnout

Here is a brief rundown of turnout numbers and election websites for today's primary.  Results from around the state will begin to go online around 8:00 PM, with a few counties beginning their updates at 8:15. The secretary of state's office has an interactive map with links to county auditors election websites for every county in the state here.

So far, most counties have received roughly a quarter of the mail-in ballots, with a significant amount sure to come in later today, tomorrow and potentially Thursday. Secretary of state Sam Reed has predicted that complete voter turnout will be around 46 percent.

Every election year, professional speculators say that young people will vote this time. Every year they don’t. Capturing the youth vote has become the quixotic dream of all politicians.

I heard early predictions from our Secretary of State that we could expect voter turnout above 30%. Secretary Dunlap even issued a press release noting, "Maine traditionally leads the way in voter turnout across the country. That's because Mainers recognize the value, the importance, and the power of their vote. I'm confident many voters will continue that tradition by casting a ballot in Tuesday's Primary Election."