Few expected to turn out for PA primary

    While Philadelphia’s ballot includes primary races for City Controller and District Attorney, there isn’t a contest for a seat in the state or nation’s capitol to pull voters to their polling places.

    While Philadelphia’s ballot includes primary races for City Controller and District Attorney, there isn’t a contest for a seat in the state or nation’s capitol to pull voters to their polling places.

    Listen:
    [audio: 090518tmvote.mp3]

    This is called an off-year election, and Philadelphia Voter Registration Administrator Bob Lee, says in 2005 only 16 percent of registered voters came out to cast a ballot. It was a only a few points better four years earlier in 2001.

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    Lee: so typically this is a low turnout election relatively speaking and from all indications so far it’s going to be the same thing.

    Lee says only about 25 thousand people registered or changed their registrations compared to over 300 thousand in 2008. Democrats still hold a six to one voter registration margin in the city, with just over a million people eligible to vote.

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