Turnout in Wisconsin election tops 26%, highest in 60 years for fall primary in presidential year

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Turnout in Wisconsin’s election Tuesday was the highest in 60 years for a presidential year partisan primary, with over 26% of the state’s voting-age population casting ballots, based on unofficial results.

The election was marked by voters rejecting two constitutional amendments that sought to limit the governor’s power to spend money and deciding a pair of hotly contested congressional primaries. The election was also the first under newly drawn legislative maps, creating dozens of competitive races in addition to other hot contests for local office.

The city of Madison, a Democratic stronghold, had 45% turnout — the highest for a fall partisan turnout in at least 40 years, the farthest back the clerk’s office has records.

Just over 1.2 million voters cast their ballots on each of the proposed amendments, which were the only statewide issues on the ballot open to all voters regardless of party. That comes to just over 26% of the voting-age population, which is around 4.7 million voters.

That is the highest turnout for an August primary in a presidential year since 1964, when nearly 28% of the voting-age population cast ballots, based on Wisconsin Elections Commission records. It’s just below the 27% turnout from the midterm 2022 partisan primary. That year turnout was driven by a competitive Republican primary for governor and Democratic race for Senate.