Compared to the 2008 presidential race, support for President Barack Obama decreased in Tuesday’s election and fewer students in the campus area showed up at the polls to vote Nov. 6.
Approximately 70 percent of people voting at campus area polls such as the Memorial Union, Memorial Library and Porchlight, voted in favor of Obama, which is a 9 percent decrease from 2008, when approximately 79 percent of campus-area voters supported Obama.
Nineteen percent of campus-area voters supported John McCain in 2008, and 27 percent of student voters supported Republican challenger Mitt Romney this year.
Although thousands of students turned out to vote Tuesday, fewer students living in the campus area voted this year than during the 2008 election, according to Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8.
Campus turnout for 2012 was approximately 69 percent with 14,816 voters showing up to campus-area polls, while in 2008, campus turnout was approximately 80 percent, according to Resnick.
Resnick said calculating how many students voted is not a “perfect science” due to the number of international students and students voting absentee.
But Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, who served as Chief Voting Inspector at Gordon Dining and Event Center, said he thought the voter turnout Tuesday was “strong and robust.”
“I thought that there would be an enthusiasm gap from 2008, but again, anecdotally, I was very impressed with the student voter turnout today,” Verveer said.
Courtney McDonald, who worked closely with the Madison Student Vote Coalition, said students were not as enthusiastic about voting for a 2012 candidate compared to the 2008 election.
“Personally, I thought the campus wasn’t super excited about the election,” McDonald said.
The Madison Student Vote Coalition registered over 6,000 people and made over 20,000 voting reminders to students, according to McDonald.
“I thought those efforts were successful considering the climate on the campus … and how excited students get,” McDonald said. “There’s only so much you can do.”
Capitol Lakes Retirement Center, Ward 53, was unable to provide final voter turnout information as of 2 a.m.
