BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Whether it's Bill on a bus tour or T.J. on the telephone, Democratic candidates for Vt. attorney general are pulling out all the stops pre-primary.
"We'll go by land, air or sea to find these undecided voters," T.J. Donovan said.
"Just getting out and doing this (cars honking) shows there's a lot of support for Bill Sorrell for Attorney General," Bill Sorrell said.
Incumbent Bill Sorrell spent the day on a multicounty bus tour, while the Donovan campaign made thousands of robocalls. Their goal-- to make 50,000 calls by Tuesday.
"I do think there are a significant amount of people who are undecided," Donovan said. "I think our message is resonating and I think if people are undecided after 15 years, they're ready for change."
Donovan turned down the Vermont Democrats offer to "get the vote out" in which they would call Vermonters at home and urge them to head to the polls Tuesday without mentioning either candidate. Sorrell worries a lower turnout could help Donovan, but if more of the general public turns out it could favor him, since he has strong name recognition after 15 years in office.
"The fact that he opposed support from the state Democratic Party makes me scratch my head," Sorrell said. "It just makes no sense to me."
"I don't think it was a way to help," Donovan said. "I think it was a systems check by the Democratic Party to get ready for November."
Secretary of State Jim Condos says despite all the pressing of the flesh, a low turnout is likely.
"I would suspect you would have 30,000-45,000-- 50,000; 50,000 being the real high end," said Jim Condos, D-Vt. Secretary of State.
That means this primary could tie with 2008 for a record low turnout. On average, 18 percent of registered Vermont voters show up for primary elections and 65 percent turnout for general elections. Those results fluctuate depending on how hotly contested each race is. General elections spike on years like this for the presidential election.
"Two years ago, we had 5 Democrats running for the governor's seat from five different counties and you knew there would be a large turnout because of that," Condos said.
The race has been close all along and that's how it will end Tuesday night. Bill Sorrell will make his speech Tuesday night at the Marriott, and right next door at the Hilton, T.J. Donovan will be making his speech. Channel 3 will have live election coverage throughout the night.
T.J. Donovan
Attorney General Bill Sorrell
