Nobody Shows Up for Illinois Primary

As of this afternoon, just 15 percent of eligible voters had shown up to the polls to vote in the Illinois primaries. That would be an all-time low, by a significant margin. Part of that is lack of a Democratic primary; part of it is lack of enthusiasm on the part of Republicans, as well as the substantial lead carried by Mitt Romney in the state. Rick Santorum is running behind Romney, and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have largely ignored this primary entirely.

The question is whether such low turnout – mirrored in many other Republican primaries this election cycle – bodes ill for general Republican turnout come election day. It is possible that Republicans are waiting to vote against Barack Obama, but lack of interest in the current crop of candidates will not help the Republican cause in November.