Interesting stuff from a new analysis of turnout from the 2008 primaries by American Univeristy's Center for the Study of the American Electorate. Three key bullets:

> Turnout in the presidential primaries reached 57,348,121 or 30.3 percent of the eligible citizen electorate, only slightly lower than the all-time high of 30.9 percent recorded in 1972.

> Turnout in the 11 statewide primaries (for governor/and or U.S. Senator) that were held on the same day as presidential primaries was 12,174,783 or 26.5 percent of those eligible to vote, the highest since 1972 when the average turnout for similar primaries was 29 percent of the electorate.

> But turnout in the 21 states which held primaries not on the same day as presidential primaries was only 7,977,418 or 14 percent of eligibles, the lowest ever. The previous low occurred in 2004 when an average of 14.9 percent of eligibles voted. Turnout in these two years was well below the 20-30 percent average who voted in previous presidential election year statewide primaries.

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