On Fox News Shannon Bream has reported that there are about 1,000 people at a caucus of two precincts in Waukee, Iowa. Waukee is an exurb of Des Moines in Dallas County, the fastest-growing county in Iowa. Four years ago there were 3,970 caucusgoers in Dallas County. Waukee had 21% of the county’s population in the 2010 Census. This suggests a county-wide turnout of about 4,700, or about 20% higher than 2008. It’s just a clue, but it suggests a higher turnout than the 119,000 in 2008.
UPDATE: Shannon Bream reports that they expect turnout at the two Waukee precincts to be 1,200, up from (I believe) 800 in 2008. This is a fast-growing area, so it may not be entirely indicative of the statewide trend. One of the big stories of the 2008 nomination process was the fact that turnout was much higher in Democratic contests than in Republican contests. This was evidence that the Democrats had an advantage in the balance of enthusiasm. This turnout suggests Republicans now have much more enthusiasm this time.
