Voters Oblivious to Primaries, Shorenstein Poll Shows

Even in states where presidential primaries were only days away, a new poll by the Vanishing Voter Project shows that a majority of voters had no idea when their presidential primary election was being held.

Only 45 percent of respondents nationwide were aware when their state's contest would be held within the week, according to the poll, which is sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy.

The number rose to 50 percent for people whose primaries occurred on or before Super Tuesday on March 7, the day when the national nominations all but decided.

The results were particularly pronounced among young adults. For people aged 18 to 29, only 23 percent knew when their primaries would be held within the week.

Predictably, voters in states with primaries after March 7 were less likely to know about their primary.

"For a good chunk of the electorate, there's no incentive to turn out [to vote] because their vote doesn't matter," said Tami S. Buhr, the research coordinator for the Shorenstein Center.

Because so few citizens know about the primaries, Buhr said, more committed partisans from each party are able to hold more sway over the outcome.

"We sometimes take it for granted that citizens will at least know when an election is being held, but that assumption clearly is not warranted," said Bradlee Professor of Government and the Press Thomas E. Patterson.

Buhr attributed the lack of awareness to several factors.

"Everybody plays a part in this," she said. "The media has historically received a lot of criticism for their coverage, but the structure of the process has a lot to do with the level of interest."

"The length of the campaign is a problem," Buhr added. Instead of peaking with the primaries and then a lull before the conventions, it should be a "gradual building of excitement and tension," she said.

Buhr suggested that starting the presidential campaign season later would help people stay interested.

Buhr said she expects the level of awareness to pick up again once the conventions are over.

And Buhr said the low election awareness may have ramifications in the upcoming presidential election.

"People generally feel that a low turnout disadvantages Democrats," Buhr said.

The weekly poll of 1,000 voters nationwide is part of the ongoing Vanishing Voter Project.