Voter Turnout

CHICAGO - Candidates for Jesse Jackson Jr.'s former congressional seat made their final push for votes Monday ahead of a high-stakes primary, but turnout was expected to be paltry despite the lurid headlines surrounding the disgraced Chicago Democrat and millions in outside super PAC money driven largely by the guns debate. The front-runners - former state Rep. Robin Kelly, former U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale - made a flurry stops at train stations, strip malls, and diners all over the district that spans Chicago's South Side, south suburbs, and some rural areas.

Any politician will say that getting out the vote is important. This year, it has taken on gargantuan dimensions. With the outcome of scores of House and Senate races hanging in the balance, the party that does a better job of turning out its supporters - state by state, district by district, city by city - is the party that's going to control the next Congress. The most motivated and energized voters appear to be Republicans, chiefly conservatives, and therefore the most likely to slog to the voting booths next Tuesday and support their candidates.

Once again, elections are upon us. Not many know it. And not many will turn out at the polls. Nonetheless, from 2 to 9 p.m. tomorrow, a trickle of people will head to their fire companies and cast ballots for fire commissioners and fire district budgets. Fewer than 5 percent of registered voters are expected to show up for 44 fire-district elections in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties. Booths are set up in most fire houses, where fire district clerks oversee balloting.

Residents voted incumbent Democratic Mayor Gerald Luongo back into office by a 3-2 ratio over his Republican challenger, Robert Berry. Two incumbent council members also successfully fended off challengers. Democratic incumbent Samuel Hart, who works for the state Department of Community Affairs, was the top vote-getter while Republican incumbent John Rogale, who works for State Sen. John Matheussen (R., Gloucester), received the second largest number of votes. Rogale's Republican rival, Marilyn Snyder, and Democratic challenger Robert Smith both failed in their second bids for council seats.

A jump in the number of new voter registrations, and record totals of absentee-ballot applications, have caused Philadelphia election officials to expect an unusually high turnout at the polls next week. These two time-tested indicators of pre-election voter interest have soared this year, after a 28-year span in which voter turnout steadily declined in presidential elections. This year's reversal, part of a trend observed nationally, appears to be fueled by voter concern about the economy.

The Senate race between incumbent Rick Santorum and challenger Bob Casey Jr. is one of the most interesting campaigns Pennsylvania has seen in many years, and turnout of base voters will likely be the key factor in the election. The race has national implications, with both parties correctly regarding Santorum's seat as crucial. If the incumbent wins, Republicans are likely to keep control of the Senate. And Democrats are unlikely to take charge of the chamber without a win in Pennsylvania.

Camden County Democrats again rolled over their Republican challengers last night, sweeping to decisive victories on the freeholder board and in most local races. Even for the county Republicans, it was no surprise. They have not controlled the freeholder board in the traditionally Democratic county since 1991. "Camden County is a very, very difficult county for Republicans. We knew that going in," said John Hanson, Republican committee chairman. In the freeholder race, incumbent Edward T. McDonnell and Democratic newcomer Laurelle Cummings easily defeated Republicans Timothy Ferguson of Bellmawr and Laura Ann Adriano of Pine Hill.

Americans seem to have shaken off their political apathy and think this year's presidential contest "really matters," according to a new nationwide poll. The results point to a big turnout in November and suggest that the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks altered the political landscape. The telephone survey of 1,806 adults was conducted June 3-13, before the transfer of power in Iraq and before Democrat John Kerry picked Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina as his vice-presidential candidate.

Republicans won five of six Pennsylvania appellate court races in Tuesday's election, and Philadelphia voters made it possible. How? By staying home. Voter turnout in heavily Democratic Philadelphia was so low in the races for Supreme, Commonwealth and Superior Courts that it appears to have been decisive in two of the five GOP victories. Unofficial returns show that only 18 percent of Philadelphia's registered voters cast ballots for Supreme Court, compared with 32 percent statewide.

Two years ago, Thaddeus Kirkland took advantage of a large voter turnout for Bill Clinton in Chester to become the first Democratic state representative since the 1970s in the heavily Republican 159th District. His chances of being re-elected over Republican challenger John Nails, a lawyer and former Chester City solicitor, hinge in all likelihood on whether a large number of Chester residents come out and vote in next month's election. The Republicans' registration edge in the district has been steadily shrinking since 1991, when the Democrats took control of the Chester City Council.