Voting turnout light in SD primary election

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SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Poll worker Evelyn Starnes has a word to sum up the turnout in Tuesday's South Dakota primary election: "Terrible."

Starnes, who spent the day working at the Minnehaha County Administration building, says it's been "very slow." She estimates about 80 people had cast ballots by early evening. Normally she would have expected to see at least 200 ballots cast by then.

Polling places close at 7 p.m. local time. State officials blame the inevitability of Republican Mitt Romney's presidential nomination for the weak turnout.

U.S. House Democratic candidates Matt Varilek and Jeff Barth are competing to run against incumbent Republican Kristi Noem this fall. South Dakota's 35 legislative districts elects one senator and two House members, except for two Senate districts that are split into two separate House districts.

Tags: election 2012, voter turnout, news, updates, state