It picks up where last weeks' left off, with more thoughts on what media pollsters can do to get better readings early on low turnout, off-year primaries.
Decisions like that serve to increase structural barriers in the American political system from voter registration and felon disenfranchisement to the fact that many offices are decided in low-turnout off-cycle elections.
The first two polls which accounted for the higher white turnout in off-year and midterm elections had Cuccinelli leading Democrat Terry McAuliffe by 3pt and 10pt, respectively.
Since voter turnout in off-year primaries can be as low as 20percentt of the eligible voters, a focused campaign of inspired voters could pull this off.
Gerrymandering and residential segregation in the House of Representatives, depressed turnout in off-year elections, and the disproportionate influence of small, rural states in the Senate and the electoral college have largely hid this reality from view.
Part of it, as we know from decades of research including the biannual reports produced by the U.S. Census Current Population Survey, is that voters tend to be older, better educated, more rural and more white than the population at large, a pattern that is especially evident in lower turnout for off-year elections.
As you may have heard, Democratic turnout dropped off a cliff again last year, just like it did in 2010.
John Mollenkopf, director of the Center for Urban Research at the City University Graduate Center, said that "while it is completely unrealistic" to expect much higher turnouts in off-year elections, it is possible for referendum issues to capture the interest of voters.
Mr Kenyatta won 50.07% of the vote on a turnout of 86%, narrowly avoiding a run-off ballot.
With polls showing the race to be effectively tied in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama needs a healthy turnout to hold off Mr. Romney.
Many expect an unusually large turnout for an off-season special election.
