La Crosse County Estimates 50 Percent Voter Turnout

Around 50 percent of La Crosse County voters are expected to participate in this year’s spring election.

La Crosse County clerk Ginny Dankmeyer said this year’s volatile presidential primary is motivating voters who wouldn’t normally turnout for an April election.

“Typically, when the presidential preference gets to Wisconsin, it’s in April and the nominees have already been selected,” Dankmeyer said. “It’s such a tight race that I think that’s energizing voters.”

Dankmeyer said high voter turnout among college-aged voters is contributing to the increase in voter participation.

“It’s a high population in a very small area and if you can get them to go to the polls to vote, that’ll make a significant effect on the overall turnout,” Dankmeyer said.

Claire Sykes voted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Rec Center. She said she thinks more college students are participating in this year’s primary.

“I’ve voted here in the past and there’s a huge amount of people here than in other years,” Sykes said.

The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board estimated 40 percent voter turnout across the state, the highest in an presidential primary since 1980.