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KBIA's coverage of all the elections going on in mid-Missouri and the nation for 2012.

Missouri primary gives Santorum a boost

Rick Santorum, speaking in Florida earlier this year
Gage Skidmore
/
Flickr
Rick Santorum, speaking in Florida earlier this year

Missouri voters gave Rick Santorum a symbolic victory tonight. The former senator handily beat Mitt Romney, winning in every county, with 52 percent of the total vote, compared to Romney's 25 percent.

That vote won't have a direct effect on the presidential nominating contest though, as Missouri's 52 delegates will be up for grabs in the state's March 17 caucuses. The state went ahead with a non-binding election today because state legislators failed to reschedule the primary to comply with national party rules.

Turnout was expectedly low: only around 8 percent of registered voters showed up, compared to 36 percent in 2008.