Voting across the nation has begun. Mirroring a growing trend in modern democracies polls have opened days early to allow for early voting. Press reports across the country report varying levels of turnout. In the west, long the bastion of the Franklin conservative movement, turnout was at historic lows. The NEC reported that voting trends in Atrium, Bennett, Gerke, Hampton, and Hunter revealed the lowest levels of voter turnout of the five democratic elections held in Franklin.
The NEC estimated that voter turnout may come in at 54% in these areas, nearly thirty percentage points lower than the 2010 election. Similar patterns could be seen in traditionally conservative areas in the eastern states. Many historically conservative precincts were reporting extremely low voter levels. This may bode ill for the conservative movement and parties as moderate parties become far more competitive in these areas. "The clear lack of a true conservative party has certainly had an effect on conservative voting. Many conservatives simply did not hear a voice that reflected their values. One is right to question the future direction of the conservative movement in light of these developments," commented Henry Lowman, a political science professor at Franklin National University.
The question remains: where will the Wilsonian coalition go? Prime Minister Wilson had built a center-right political coalition in the 2010 election. These voters may be influenced by Wilson's late endorsement of the RP. Yet, recent polling showed elderly and working class voters turning against the RP's plans to privatize Social Security and Medicare. This voter apprehension over the RP's entitlement reform plans may benefit the center-left party trifecta of the FLP, MP, and WOP.
The NEC reported that first projections will be out Tuesday morning.
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