VOTER TURN-OUT LOW IN WEST VIRGINIA

(11/07/2008)
While the USA saw a huge turn-out for the presidential election, West Virginia voters was 8% down from the 2004 Bush-Kerry contest.

In an historic election where more Americans voted than ever before, turnout was particularly low in some heavily Democratic counties.

About 58.2 percent of voters went to the polls this fall, compared to 65.8 percent in the 2004 race.

As Democrat Barack Obama swept states across the country, Republican John McCain took the Mountain State by about 13 percentage points.

The Arizona senator won West Virginia by nearly 93,000 votes, according to unofficial results.

Seven counties went to Obama, barely in most cases.

Obama's highest margins of victory came from Boone and McDowell counties, both ranking low in voter turn-out.

After years of being a reliably "blue" state, this election marks the third straight time West Virginians have picked a Republican for president.

West Virginia is now labeled with the south as a Red State, while Democrat voters have been labeled Republicrats.