votebuttonjpgTHUMBBISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s primary election turnout was the lowest in decades.
 
     Data from the Secretary of State’s Office show turnout for Tuesday’s election was 17 percent, with just more than 93,000 people making it to the polls.
 
     The agency has been keeping turnout records since 1980. The previous low for a June primary was 19 percent in 2004.
 
     North Dakota has no voter registration, and the turnout percentage is calculated using a North Dakota State Data Center estimate of the number of eligible voters.
 
     The center estimated there were 545,020 North Dakotans who were eligible to vote. That population was based on 2012 census data.
 
     The most recent census data show about 561,000 people are eligible to vote. Using those population figures, the turnout would be about 16 percent.