The Boston Globe
Granite Staters show Independent streak: Turnout by undeclared voters probably
had considerable - if uncertain - influence on results
By Royal Ford, Globe Staff, 02/21/96
NOTTINGHAM, N.H. - In the school gymnasium here, Republicans were
trying to change their registration to Democrat. Democrats were
trying to switch to Republican. And the independents were out in
flocks.
``I'd say it's running strong and it's only 11 o'clock,'' Melinda
Cadwell, a supervisor of the checklist, said of the independent
vote. ``We've had a lot of people who want to pick up a different
ballot from the party they're registered with.''
Over in Goffstown at the entrance to the polling booths, Monica
Sorrentino placed her hand on a stack of voter volatility: cards
filled out by people who came to register and vote on the same day
- the first time New Hampshire primary voters have had that
option.
``Oh my, it's many more than I would have expected,'' Sorrentino
said as early as 8:30 a.m.
It was the independent and newly registered voters who may have
provided the edge in this clotted race. Switching registrations
was not permitted.
Independents - who are generally well-off, socially moderate and
fiscally conservative - could have been a boost to Steve Forbes.
Or they could have protested a negative campaign season by going
with Sen. Richard Lugar. However, exit polls last night indicated
they were helping to boost Buchanan to victory and Alexander to
viability, and doing little for Dole.
With Secretary of State William Gardner predicting a Republican
vote of about 192,000 this year, the shifting weight of the
state's 198,627 undeclared voters loomed large.
In 1992, for instance, with dissatisfaction over George Bush and
the Democratic primary holding a promise of change, 45,000 more
voters cast Democratic ballots than had in 1988. They appeared to
come from the undeclared ranks. Last night, with exit polls
showing that undeclared voters comprised 26 percent of the GOP
turnout, Gardner's prediction would mean that about 45,000
undeclared waded into that race.
Added to this was the freedom for unregistered voters to show up
and vote, which helped add 90,000 voters to the rolls during the
1994 congressional and gubernatorial races. Six percent of those
voting yesterday told exit pollsters they had just registered and,
again based on Gardner's prediction, that would have injected
another 11,400 votes into the race.
In voting booths around the state, it helped make for a restless
electorate.
``I didn't care for the campaign at all,'' Diane Hogan said as she
emerged from the polling place at Goffstown. ``Up until yesterday,
I didn't know what most of them stood for. There's been too much
mudslinging.''
``I voted for Dick Lugar,'' Dana Gove said moments later. ``I went
about voting on the issues and if you listened to him, it wasn't
just some sound bite and glitz.''
Over in Weare, at the town hall, Lou Mariano complained that ``the
biggest mudslingers were the ones with the least to say.''
Lance Myrdek and his wife, Rene, said all the mud did not impede
them. ``We didn't have to wade through anything,'' Lance said.
``We've been with Buchanan since he ran against Bush.''
SIDEBAR
Primary returns online
New Hampshire primary results are accessible vie the Globe Online
at Boston.com, at http://www.boston.com. Use the keyword:
nhvoteExtensive information on Campaign '96 including polls and
candidate profiles is available on Globe Online at Boston.com,
which can be found at http://www.boston.com. Use the keyword:
campaign.
This story ran on page 11 of the Boston Globe on 02/21/96.
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