Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal

« Clinton, McCain winning by similar margins | Today | Clinton, McCain take R.I., with 87% of polls in »

March 4, 2008

Clinton, McCain far outpacing Obama, Huckabee

Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain were beating their closest opponents in the Rhode Island presidential primaries tonight by roughly the same margin -- almost 2 to 1.

Democrat Clinton had 75,761 votes compared to Barack Obama's 51,258, with 73 percent -- or 131 of 179 -- of polling places reporting, according to unofficial state Board of Elections results.

Republican McCain, the Arizona senator, was steam-rolling over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 14,153 to 4,744, also with about 144 precincts reporting, the unofficial results show. The win helped him secure the GOP nomination, according to the Associated Press.

Polls leading up to today had consistently put Clinton, the New York senator, ahead, but with Obama, the Illinois senator, narrowing the gap in the hotly contested race. But most pundits had expected the race to be much closer, given Obama's recent string of primary victories.

What may become the most historic number of all in Rhode Island is the total number of ballots cast today, as state and local officials signaled an unprecedented turnout for a presidential primary.

The state's 179 polling places closed at 9 p.m. Lines and steady streams of voters appeared to be common around the state, according to Journal reports.

Few technical glitches were reported, though some voters complained of confusion over whether they had disaffiliated or not from previous elections.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports Pam Cotter of projo.com com and Journal staff

Also a problem: Some voters didn't know where to go to vote. Polling places have been closed since the last election to save money, and there are routinely fewer polls for primary elections. Both may have also contributed to longer lines.

The record turnout for the state's presidential primaries held since 1988 was in 2000, when 82,964 Democrats voted and 46,844 Republicans voted.

Registered Democrats now outnumber Republicans more than three to one, but there are more unaffiliated voters than those parties combined. Unaffiliated voters were allowed to vote in either party's primary.

This evening, Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis’ office reported a record number of people voted in Greater Providence.

“We’ve been visiting the polling places in Greater Providence -- Warwick, East Providence, Cranston -- and poll workers are saying this is the heaviest turnout they’ve ever seen,” Mollis spokesman Chris Barnett said in the evening.

Posted by Mike McKinney at 10:36 PM | Permalink

March 4, 2008

Clinton, McCain far outpacing Obama, Huckabee

Comments

Post a comment