Votes cast for President Obama in 2012 Fall Election largest in history - 3,071,434 votes

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November 29, 2012                                   Reid Magney, 608-267-7887

G.A.B. Certifies Fall 2012 Election Results

MADISON, WI – Wisconsin set a voter turnout record in the Fall 2012 General Election, according to official results certified today by the Government Accountability Board.

“The 3,071,434 votes cast for President was the highest number of votes cast for a single office in a statewide election in Wisconsin history. This record turnout reflects the voting public’s deep-rooted commitment to participate in the selection of their governmental leaders,” said Kevin J. Kennedy, Wisconsin’s chief election official. “Wisconsin’s turnout rate of 70.14 percent of eligible voters casting ballots in the presidential race was the fourth-highest percentage since records have been kept going back to 1948.”

Board Chair David G. Deininger certified the official results of the November 6 election, which are now available on the Board’s website: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/results. Updated statistics are now available as well: http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/statistics.

Kennedy praised voters, poll workers and local election officials for a generally smooth election. “Preparation was key to preventing problems at polling places,” Kennedy said. “Our ‘Back to Basics’ initiative helped ensure election officials were ready for the large turnout and voters had ready access to information about their registration status and polling place location.”

Voter turnout is calculated based on the highest number of votes cast for one office as a percentage of the estimated voting-age population, as determined by the state Department of Administration’s Demographic Services Center. Other statistics, such as the number of absentee ballots cast and Election Day Registrants will not be available until later in December because municipal clerks are still reporting this information to the G.A.B.

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The Government Accountability Board (G.A.B.) is responsible for administration and enforcement of campaign finance, elections, ethics and lobbying laws in Wisconsin.  The G.A.B. is made up of six non-partisan, former judges and is supported by an agency of non-partisan staff members.