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2012 Election: Will Swing State Weather Affect Voter Turnout?

Elizabeth Johnson |
November 5, 2012 | 2:05 p.m. PST

Executive Producer

The run-down of election day weather. (AccuWeather)
The run-down of election day weather. (AccuWeather)
Less than a week after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the East Coast, a storm is expected to hit coastal areas from Florida up through North Carolina on Election Day.

SEE ALSO: Swing States: Who Are The Voters Deciding America's Next President?

Though not threatening a force similar to that of Sandy, heavy rainfall and high winds as well as possible thundershowers may greet voters as they brave the polls Tuesday. Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah, Georgia; and Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina are expected to face the worst of the rains.

"The weather pattern remains volatile for another storm to form on the East Coast, but nothing like Sandy," predicted AccuWeather Expert Senior Meteorologist Henry Margusity. "A storm that would be more normal for early November."

SEE ALSO: Swing State Battleground: Hillsborough, FL

In addition to possible storms in Florida, another swing state is expected to face inclement weather Tuesday: Wisconsin will likely see light showers that may mix with some snowfall.

A study in the Journal of Politics examined the effect of weather in past election turnouts, and saw that rain and snow caused hundreds of thousands of voters to stay home in the 1972, 1992 and 2000 elections.

SEE ALSO: Does Obama's Lead In Swing State Polls Mean He Will Win The Election?

But The Washington Post reports that turnout will probably not be heavily affected the weather in swing states, but will likely be lower in areas heavily affected by Sandy. Weather in those areas should remain calm come Election Day.

Follow Neon Tommy's 2012 Election coverage here.

Reach Executive Producer Elizabeth Johnson here. Follow her on Twitter here.




 

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