UPDATED Wednesday, September 15, 2010 --- 10:50 a.m.

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Turnout for Tuesday's primary election was about 19 percent, well below the prediction that 28 percent of the voting age population would cast ballots.

Based on unofficial results about 847,000 people voted in the Democratic and Republican primary for governor. That is about 19 percent of the roughly 4.3 million people of voting age in the state.

Election officials had expected about 400,000 more people to vote for 28 percent turnout.

If the 19 percent figure holds, it will be the highest primary turnout since 22 percent voted in 2002.

Republican voters far outweighed Democrats in the governor's race. Only about 233,000 people voted in the Democratic primary in which Tom Barrett was facing only token opposition. About 614,000 people voted in the Republican primary in which Scott Walker defeated Mark Neumann.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 --- 11:38 a.m.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A record-high 28 percent turnout is predicted for Wisconsin's primary on Sept. 14.

State elections officials made the estimate on Thursday, citing highly contested statewide races for governor as well as local legislative and congressional contests.

Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy says there appears to be tremendous interest in this election. The highest primary election turnout on records dating back to 1960 was 27.9 percent in 1964.

This year's prediction equates to about 1.2 million voters.

The governor's race is one of six contested primaries for statewide office. There are also contested Republican primary for U.S. Senate and seven primaries in the eight congressional districts.