BERRIEN COUNTY – Michigan's primary is next Tuesday. Republican Presidential hopefuls are already in Michigan campaigning for your vote.
The candidates have raised and spent millions of dollars, but money may not be enough to win Tuesday's primary. Voter turnout is also extremely important.
Four candidates have their eye on Michigan and 30 delegates to win the Republican nomination.
Voters have their minds made up:
"Basically the only guy I like is Mitt," said KT Alexander.
"I was leaning towards Newt," Cindy Clark, said. "He's aggressive."
Southwest Michigan will be very important in this race.
"The road to winning Michigan very much leads through Berrien County," said Stephen Smith, chairman for Berrien County's Republican Party.
But it's not the number of people who show up that matters – It's who.
"What particular groups or blocks of voters are going to be more likely to show up," said Sean Savage, a political science professor at Saint Mary's College.
Savage said one candidate's base can make all the difference. While one of the candidates comes out on top, it could mean trouble for everyone else.
Mitt Romney campaigned just north of Detroit on Tuesday. Savage said the state is a must-win for Romney, and he believes it will happen if moderate Republican voters outnumber conservative Republicans at the poll.
If Santorum's strong conservative base outnumbers moderate Republicans, Savage believes it will be a blow to Romney's campaign – they'll have to look at their strategy and regroup.
He believes it could be a nail in the coffin for Gingrich's run.
So what type of voter turnout can we expect in Michigan? A spokesperson for the Secretary of State's Office said 363,000 absentee ballots were sent out. Today 218,000 were returned.
So where things stand, about 145,000 votes are still out there. Again, it's one of the reasons candidates and the party are telling everyone to vote. Because your support really could make a difference next Tuesday.
