With pollsters split on the Illinois governor’s race, it’s important to remember how regional turnout can move election results fairly dramatically in the Land of Lincoln. To illustrate that point, We Ask America developed an online turnout effect calculator to allow those who possess both political tendencies and way too much time on their hands a chance to play the with different turnout scenarios.
The calculator splits Illinois into four regions (Chicago, Suburban Cook Co., Collar Counties and Downstate) and presets the turnout in each of those areas to match the 2010 midterm turnout. The turnout totals can be changed by the viewer. We Ask America also populated the vote splits with its latest poll results, but you can wipe that out and put your own numbers.
With the Illinois governor’s race as tight as it seems, this shows how tweaking a few numbers effects the final result. Instructions are on the page.
