Turnout Highest In Decades

Nearly 60 Percent Went To Polls Or Mailed In Ballots

(CBS/AP)  Driven by an intense race for the presidency, a greater percentage of Americans voted Tuesday than at any time in more than three decades.

Figures tabulated Wednesday by The Associated Press showed that 114.3 million people had voted with 99 percent of precincts reporting. However, about 120 million people cast ballots, including 5.5 million to 6 million absentee and provisional ballots yet to be counted, said Curtis Gans, director of the nonpartisan Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.

The 120 million figure represents just under 60 percent of eligible voters — the highest percentage turnout since 1968, Gans said.

One county clerk in Illinois spoke for poll workers across the country on Election Day when he summed up the turnout with one word: "Gangbusters."

Four years ago, in the election that led to Republican Bush's narrow victory over Democrat Al Gore, slightly more than 54 percent of eligible voters, or about 105.4 million, voted.

President Clinton's 1996 re-election bid drew just 49 percent of eligible voters, about 96.3 million. But his 1992 challenge to the first President Bush brought out 55.2 percent of eligible voters, or about 104.4 million.

Officials had eyes on whether Tuesday's turnout would rival the 1960 benchmark, when about two-thirds of eligible voters came out to back either Democrat John Kennedy or Republican Richard Nixon.

At least six states — Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — and the District of Columbia set voter-turnout highs, according to Gans' analysis. Kentucky initially appeared to set a record for turnout, too, but more analysis showed that was not the case.

"On both sides, the presidency of George Bush was a lightning rod," he said. "For those who supported him, they supported him for traditional values, strong leadership, the war on terrorism and some rejection of things that the Democrats advocate," such as abortion rights and gay civil unions.

"On the other side, it was the war on Iraq, debt, the feeling he hadn't been candid with the American people, too conservative values and division in the country," Gans said.

A CBS News/New York Times poll over the weekend found that 76 percent of respondents find the race "interesting" — compared to 56 percent in October 2000.

Registration leapt in several states: Ohio has 800,000 more registered voters, New Jersey 460,000 new ones.

When it comes to voting, the United States still has some distance to go to match the participation of voters in other democracies. But by U.S. standards, Tuesday shaped up as an impressive show.

In California, the estimated voter turnout was 12 million, a record for the state.

"It's a landslide of people coming out, which is nice," voter Theresa Cocco, 45, a business owner, said outside the Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach. "It renews my faith in society."

Polls had predicted high turnout and both campaigns went all out to make sure their voters made it to the polls in massive numbers.

Conventional wisdom has always been that a bigger turnout favors Democrats.

This year, the GOP set out to change that. Bush strategist Karl Rove specifically targeted an estimated 4 million evangelical Christians. The GOP also established a task force to drive Republican turnout over the final 72 hours of the campaign. Republican operatives believe those efforts paid off.

"Our absentee and early voting is off the charts in every battleground state," conservative strategist Ralph Reed said on Monday. "There will be a historically large turnout and it will benefit President Bush."

Quoting party officials, The Washington Post reports Republicans were spending $125 million to get out the vote, Democrats $60 million.

The Republican National Committee had outreach coordinators for 36 specific groups of voters, ranging from evangelicals to Lebanese-Americans and snowmobilers. In an October conference call, Democratic officials outlined an effort involving 2,500 precinct leaders, 2,500 paid staff and 250,00 volunteers.

Private groups were also involved. Americans Coming Together said it would field 45,000 paid workers and spend $10 million. The group was also looking to sign up 25,000 volunteers. The AFL-CIO claimed that "200,000 volunteers have participated in union education and mobilization efforts so far," staffing 257 phone banks in 16 states.

In a few areas, the heavy turnout led to some of the scattered problems reported at the polls. Long lines and lots of new voters forced polling places in several states to stay open after normal closing time.