News Service from Weird House

US: Record turnout for US election: analysts

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 AFP - Voter turnout reached a level unseen for a century in the historic election that swept Barack Obama to power as the first black US president, according to data published by analysts today.

Two-thirds of voters turned out nationwide, a record not beaten since 1908,according to the independent election monitoring website RealClearPolitics.

In the key battleground state of Florida, 72 per cent of the state's 11.2 million voters came out to vote, helping Obama reverse last year's Republican victory to beat his rival John McCain, according to figures published by state election authorities.

Sixty-three per cent of voters turned out in the 1960 election that broughtJohn F. Kennedy to power.

Turnout in 2004, when President George W Bush was re-elected, was 55.3 per cent.

AFP imc =0A