Record Number of AZ voters to Cast Ballots in Primary ElectionTop Stories

September 10, 2018 13:01
Record Number of AZ voters to Cast Ballots in Primary Election

(Image source from: Financetime.org)

A record-breaking number of Arizona voters cast ballots in this year's primary election.

According to state officials, 1.2 million voters mailed in a ballot or showed up at the polls during the August 28 primary. That tops the previous record of nearly 1 million voters in the 2010 primary, the Associated Press reported.

The total for 2018 is about a 33 percent turnout.

The Associated Press credited heavy Democratic involvement for the increase. About 524,000 Democrats turned out, compared to about 377,000 Democrats in the 2016 primary. About 671,000 Republicans voted this year, compared to around 606,000 in 2016.

Democrats are trying to flip federal seats in Arizona. Leading the way is a competitive United States Senate race between Democratic Representative Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Rep. Martha McSally.

Democrats are seeking to outnumber Republicans by wooing a large number of independent voters. Arizona has about 1.26 million Republican voters and approximately 1.22 million independent voters. That compares to around 1.1 million Democratic voters, according to the Associated Press.

Still, the split between Democrats and Republicans is narrower than what it usually is, said Garrett Archer, a senior elections analyst with the Arizona secretary of state.

Arizona Democratic Party chair Felecia Rotellini told the news outlet the party is confident but "not taking a single vote granted." Field offices across the state are continuing to register people to vote and sign voters up for permanent vote-by-mail status, she said.

In contrast, Republicans are continuing to boost efforts to keep their seats. That includes promoting Governor Doug Ducey, who is seeking a second term in a race against Democratic challenger David Garcia.

The Arizona communications director for the Republican National Committee, Renae Eze, attributed the accrued Democratic turnout to a spike in competitive primaries. Yet she believes Arizona Republicans voters out-vote Democrats.

"I think we're going to keep that lead, in good part to the great candidates we have," she told the Associated Press.

By Sowmya Sangam

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