PERRY/Obama up in Miss., turnout down
President Barack Obama increased his totals in Mississippi by a little more than 8,200 votes in Mississippi this year over four years ago and his 2012 challenger got nearly 14,000 fewer votes than his 2008 challenger.
Tempered by a 12 percent increase in third party voting, Obama increased his percentage of Mississippi votes from 43 percent to 43.8 percent. The Democrat incumbent still lost the state by nearly 150,000 votes, but he added two counties to his win column picking up both Benton and Warren counties over Mitt Romney (John McCain carried both in 2008). Obama carried 31 counties to Romney’s 51 counties. Also, Obama led McCain by six votes in Oktibbeha County in 2008 but posted a 334 vote lead over Romney there this year. Over all voter turnout in the presidential election was down by more than 4,200 votes from four years previous.
With a lower turnout and an increase in voter eligible population (VEP) of 2,285, Mississippi’s VEP turnout dropped from 59.97 percent in 2008 to 59.71 percent this year. While not the record set four years ago, turnout still exceeded recent presidential election in the state. Between 1980 and 1992, VEP turnout in Mississippi fluctuated between 52 and 53 percent. It plummeted to 45.9 percent in 1996 and increased to 49.1 percent in 2000 and 55.7 percent in 2004.
Voter turnout dropped nationwide from 2008, but according to research co-authored by Roberto Gallardo, Assistant Extension Professor at the Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University, rural voter turnout in rural areas declined twice the rate of the rest of the nation – mainly among rural Democrats. In a story for the Daily Yonder, Gallardo and co-author Bill Bishop wrote, “Turnout in small cities declined 13.7 percent, dropping from 61.1 percent to 52.7 percent. And turnout in rural counties fell from 67.2 percent in 2008 to 54.9 percent in 2012. That is a whopping 18.3 percent decline, double the national rate. Rural residents still voted more than those in the cities, but the decline is remarkable. And, as the county groups grow less urban, the turnout decline grows larger.” It seems in the rush to examine which voters the national parties need to court, both have neglected rural voters.
Neshoba Democrat
12/6/12
Magnolia Tribune
