Romney earned zero votes in some urban precincts

President Obama's victory over Mitt Romney in last Tuesday's presidential election was driven, in part, by the president's strength in urban areas, where robust support cushioned the incumbent against electoral deficits in rural America. But almost a week after the election, it is now becoming clear just how lopsided President Obama's victory was in some cities: in dozens of urban precincts, Mitt Romney earned literally zero votes.

The Phildadelphia Inquirer reported today that, in 59 precincts in inner-city Philadelphia, the GOP nominee received not a single vote. And according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, nine precincts in Cleveland returned zero Romney votes.

At first blush, it seems almost impossible: how, even in some of the most heavily Democratic strongholds in the country, could a major party's presidential candidate fail to earn even one vote?

Incredulous Republicans might be tempted to indict voter fraud as a culprit - in reaction to the numbers, Steve Miskin, a spokesman for Republicans in Pennsylvania's state legislature touted the state's voter ID law, which did not apply to last Tuesday's election, and avowed a need to "continue ensuring the integrity of the ballot."

But, as is often the case, the reality is less salacious than the conspiracy theory - a consequence of demography, not electoral shenanigans.

Most big cities are heavily Democratic to begin with, and geographic patterns of racial segregation may yield an even more one-sided electoral result in certain areas than in the city as a whole.

Obama's dominance was mostly confined to largely African-American areas of West and North Philadelphia. In the third division of Philadelphia's 28th Ward, for example, 94 percent of the residents are black, and the 2010 census recorded only seven white residents. Voter registration lists showed only 12 registered Republicans in the division, none of whom voted for Romney or responded to the Inquirer's requests for comment.

Perhaps the GOP should have seen it coming - recall the frosty reception Romney received at a West Philadelphia charter school in May.

And the outcome is not at all out of step with recent history - in 2008, 57 divisions in Philadelphia returned zero votes for then-GOP nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain. And in 2004, a more Republican-friendly election year, five Philadelphia divisions shut out former President George W. Bush entirely.

Sasha Issenberg, author of The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns, told the Inquirer that relative ease of political organizing in an urban environment may have played a role: "One reason Democrats can maximize votes in Philadelphia is that it's very easy to knock on every door."

And Jonathan Rodden, a political scientist at Stanford University, explained the result as as the logical endpoint of the Democratic Party's dominance in big cities: "We have always had these dense urban corridors that are extremely Democratic," said Rodden. "It's kind of an urban fact, and you are looking at the extreme end of it in Philadelphia."

[dinksinger-2009]

In Utah County, Utah, the Provo/Orem area, there were 34 precincts where Mitt Romney received 100% of the vote.

[keith_brekhus]

At first glance this might look suspicious, but when you consider that McCain got zero votes in 57 Philly precincts and that Romeny also got shut out in large urban precincts in Chicago, Atlanta, New Orleans, Dallas and Littel Rock and that Obama got shut out in precincts in Utah, Oklahoma, and Mississippi...it doesn't suggest fraud as much as deep deep polarization

http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-did-not-win-because-of-widespread-voter-fraud

[FrankTrades]

Clearly, clearly, clearly voter fraud. If this happened to a Democrat CBS wold have an army of reporters on the story for 6months.

[dinksinger-2009]

How many reporters are rushing to Utah County, Utah, where Mitt Romney received 100% in 34 precincts?

[Alessandro Machi]

I find the assumption that all African Americans would vote the same way somewhat racist. Haven't you ever heard of the "spite vote"? Some people may have a conflict with a neighbor and and if a situation arises where they can do the opposite of what that neighbor is going to do, they do it.

[cbunite]

So have you done any research to see if there were any precincts
in the country where President Obama got zero. Did you check on the demographics. If you have done neither, then I must ask why not?

[keith_brekhus]

There were precincts were Obama got zero, and many more urban precincts throughout the country (even in deep red states)where Romney was shut out...

http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-did-not-win-because-of-widespread-voter-fraud

[marychgo]

The whole premise of your article is race-slanted, Jake. Why is it "news" that 59 precincts in African American communities in Philadelphia voted 100% for Obama/Biden when it's NOT news that hundreds or perhaps even thousands of precincts in predominantly white areas across the country voted 100% for Romney/Ryan? Black folks voting for a black candidate is (boogida boogida!) "racist," but white folks voting for a white candidate ISN'T? That's pretty ridiculous, isn't it?

[KS_Chem_Guy]

Marychgo,
The liberal media has been scouring the country trying to find ONE precinct that voted 100% for Romeny....guess what THAT CAN NOT FIND ONE!...... let alone thousands as you suggest. The closest one was a Texas preciinct that has a couple of hundred people. GET A CLUE! White vote split nearly every where in the US....get some facts and quit playing this race crap!

[Colsanders1955]

When you have an administration whose main mission was to explode welfare rolls, advertise and expand food stamps by the millions, and gave away cell phones candy, I would expect such a result, although 100% is far fetched, especially when some counties have more votes tallied than voters registered. All these serfs have expedited a meltdown in our country and are too ignorant to know it.

[keith_brekhus]

Name one county that had more votes tallied than voters registered. Hint: Wood County, Ohio...St Lucie County Florida and any county in Colorado...although all popular choices by the right-wing do not count as demonstrated here....http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-did-not-win-because-of-widespread-voter-fraud

[robert1129]

The best explanation is the incident where Romney was taped saying that he did not care about the 47% of Americans. It was clear that he was talking about these urban voters. They remembered the incident when they voted. I did.

[mcrich3]

Amazing that in some precincts that zero people voted for Romney? This is statistically impossible. The Chicago voting machine has been duplicated and perfected. It's no wonder that the dems don't want to disenfranchise these voters that have no idea what they are voting on.

If there were precincts that were 100% Romney, I assure you the press would be shouting voter fraud.

[inbethlehem]

I guess you didn't bother to read the article. In one of the precincts cited, there were but 12 registered Republicans, NONE of which voted for Romney.

Take your conspiracy theories over to FOX. You will find a more sympathetic audience there.

[RichardConquerer]

It's statistically improbable, not impossible.

"It's no wonder that the dems don't want to disenfranchise these voters that have no idea what they are voting on."

And wait, are you accusing people of being ignorant voters or that their Romney votes weren't counted? Which is it?

[marychgo]

I've already asked CBS on another thread to let us know how many precincts in, for example, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Alaska, Alabama, West Virginia, etc. cast 100% of THEIR votes for Romney/Ryan. I'm not holding my breath!

[signseeker1717]

I'm sure there's some in RURAL areas, but this article is about URBAN areas in particular, because THAT'S where the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS live. All the states you mention above are sparsely populated and predominantly rural, with few LARGE urban areas (Exception: Salt Lake City).

[tomcole37853]

Yes the story is about Urban areas but, wouldn't telling us about the 100% Romney areas prove that this statistical impossability was indeed possible. I am not trying to be one sided here but it seems to me that if a canidate gets all the votes in an area that he should get 98% of the votes in, I am wondering where the other 2% are. Then we also have area of the country that reported over 100% voter turn out, how is that possible? Have we been lied to and if so, by who is what we should be asking here.