Romney Has Landslide Victory In Bannock County

It was a landslide victory in Bannock County on Tuesday night with Mitt Romney taking 79 percent of the vote.

Ron Paul got 12 percent, Rick Santorum got 7 percent and Newt Gingrich got 1 percent.

The final ballot count was 2039, and there were people who walked away from Tuesday’s long line, but Bannock County caucus coordinator Jordan Cheirret said volunteers got everyone in to vote who stuck around.

If it was any indication, people started lining up before the ballroom doors in Idaho State University’s Pond Student Union opened at 5 p.m., and by the the time it was 6:30 p.m., the line snaked through the entire cafe area, and people were being moved into the Wood River Room.

The crowd went wild when the speaker for Mitt Romney took the stage, and a Ron Paul supporter who helped officiate the vote, said she talked to a lot of people who said they wanted Paul to win, but were voting for Romney because they didn’t think Paul had the numbers.

The people leaving the caucus were happy about Romney’s win.

“I am so excited, I think he’s the man,” said LaGrande Smith.

“We just want the candidate that won to win the national election,” said Debra Call.

The voting ended in the first round, so no one needed the extra round ballots and the crowds cleared out before 9 p.m.

But before the crowds got there, set up started early, with volunteers flooding the ballroom.

Cheirret helped volunteers get everything organized before voters come in to register. He’s been working on the caucus for months.

“I’ll be happy when it’s over. It’ll be a fun process. It’s been fun to plan, too,” Cheirret said.

Volunteers grabbed their official blue vests and started putting tabs in the huge books of registered voters.

“I’m registering people as they come in the door so they can get their ballot so they can be part of the process,” said one volunteer.

Things started to heat up when people showed up before the 5 pm start time.

“We’re willing to wait in line,” said Stephanie Mower.

But Kitty Pumphrey said having this closed primary might limit the people who are willing to show up

“I think you end up in a caucus getting the outer edges of a party mobilized, but the more moderate part of a party in my opinion will not be here,” said Pumphrey.

But the Super Tuesday vote was overwhelmingly for Romney.

“We hope (it’s) super good by the end of the night, too,” said the volunteers.