General Election Day

November 4, 2008

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Profile America — Tuesday, November 4th. Most Americans will be up late tonight watching the election returns from the hard-fought and long-lasting presidential campaigns. We have become accustomed to quick and accurate returns, thanks to the use of sophisticated computers. The first time a computer was used to forecast an election winner was in 1952, when UNIVAC 1 was loaned by the U.S. Census Bureau to CBS. Not only is the White House on the line, but every member of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate will also be chosen. The highest turnout at the polls four years ago was in Minnesota at nearly 80 percent of eligible voters. Other states with turnout rates at 70 percent or more included Wisconsin, Maine and North Dakota, as well as Oregon, which votes entirely by mail. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 543
Kane's Famous First Facts, 3393
U.S. Census Bureau, Facts for Features, CB07-FFSE.05
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/010725.html