PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Super Tuesday brought out a low voter turnout in Northern Virginia, even for a primary. Our reporters talked to voters about the issues that matter to them.
All election season, we’ve heard mixed reviews on the economy. Inflation is on the decline, but households still see high prices for consumer goods. We wanted to know: How was the economy driving primary voters?
The voters we spoke with seem to be reading from the same script: Personally, finances are doing fine, but they worry about the overall economy.
On election Day our crew went to the two busiest polling places in Prince William County for economic answers. But, even those spots had pedestrian turnouts, at best.
That’s because "everyone knows who is gonna win,” one voter said outside the Bristow Run Elementary School polling place.
By noon, Gainesville’s Heritage Hunt Golf Club’s polling place had the most voters. We asked: How do you feel the economy is going?
“That’s a personal question, OK? Everyone’s economy is different,” one man said. “Personally I can’t complain, but I look and see how a lot of people are struggling.”
Another voter had a similar refrain: “For me, it’s not bad, but for a lot of people I guess it is.”
Most of those voters we spoke to at the golf club were retired.
We went to the next most active polling place, Bristow Run Elementary.
New spot – similar sentiment. Folks doing fine personally but worried about others.
“I’m in pretty good shape, but I don’t think everybody is,” one man said.
Even with grocery prices eating the most from American family budgets in 30 years, the people we talked to aren’t hurt yet. However, they have concerns about the health of the economy.
“I don’t think it’s going positive,” one woman said. “It’s definitely a negative for a lot of people now.”
Even it being pretty clear which way the wind is blowing, these Prince William County voters said a lot can happen before the general election.
“One thing that's guaranteed is change,” a man outside the Heritage Hunt Golf Club said. “Who knows what now and November will bring.”
By early afternoon, the Prince William County Registrar’s Office said even with mail-in votes and early voting they hit around 6% turnout from voters. Most presidential primaries, a spokesperson said, hit between 15% and 25% turnout.