Turnout in Matt Doheny's GOP primary victory over Kellie Greene last night was about 7 percent in the 12 counties that comprise the north country.

The estimate is based on unofficial results, plus about 1,000 absentee ballots that have yet to be counted.

In the similarly low-key April 24 presidential primary — and keep in mind, this is a primary that did not matter, because Mitt Romney was for all intents and purposes the nominee — turnout was about 6 percent.

The raw vote total last night was 11,754, with Mr. Doheny taking 72 percent and Ms. Greene taking 28 percent.

Why did so few people turn out? A few likely factors. Mr. Doheny's supporters figured he'd win big, so why bother showing up? And New York hasn't voted for its federal primary candidates in June in a generation. Add redistricting into the mix, and you've got a whole bucket of confusion.

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