Q: It has been reported that fewer voters have turned out for the primary elections across the country this year. What are the actual figures? They would provide some perspective on whether 25 percent or 88 percent of the 2008 turnout is determining the current Republican candidate for president.
—Susan D. Little, Summerville
A: Only 11.5 percent of eligible voters had voted in the states that held primaries before March 7, according to the nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center and the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University. The organization put the total number of voters at 7.8 million out of 68.1 million eligible voters. The percentage is down from 13.2 percent who voted in 2008 and 12.2 percent in 2000. Of those 13 states, eight had lower turnouts than 2008 and five had higher ones, according to the study. Georgia had a turnout of 13.2 percent this year, compared to 15 percent in 2008, according to the groups.
Q: I often see pets riding in cars unrestrained. At the least, they are vulnerable if there is a collision. At the worst, they could cause a collision by distracting the driver.
—Clayton Conarro, Atlanta
A: Fifty-six percent of dog owners said they had driven with their dog in the car at least once a month and 29 percent admitted to being distracted by their dog while driving, according to a 2011 survey by AAA and Kurgo, which makes pet travel products. Only 16 percent said they had used a pet restraint in the car.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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