WHO-HD’s Presidential Cast Your Kernel Results Are Closest in History

20 Aug WHO-HD’s Presidential Cast Your Kernel Results Are Closest in History

Nearly equal corn kernels cast for Democrats and Republicans

Biden achieves 25% of Democratic votes; Trump claims 97% of Republican votes

DES MOINES, Iowa –August 20, 2019 –  WHO-HD Channel 13, Des Moines’ NBC Affiliate, invited Iowa State Fair visitors to “Cast Your Kernel” for our next president during the fair’s 11 day run August 8 to 18. Each adult who stopped was given one kernel of corn to place in the Mason jar of his or her favorite presidential candidate. This year’s poll results showed something that has never happened before in the 15 years of the poll: almost exactly as many fairgoers voted for a Democratic candidate for president as a Republican.

The total number of kernels for Republican candidates was 33,280. Total votes for Democratic candidates was 33,165. That 50-50 percentage split is the closest ever. In total, 66,445 kernels were cast between daily 9 AM and 9 PM in this year’s unscientific poll…averaging about 8.4 kernels per minute. Here are the final results:

“We heard many passionate conversations from Iowans on whom they believe will be the best person to lead our country in the future,” says Channel 13 News Political Reporter Dave Price. “While we know the corn poll isn’t scientific, it has proven in the past to be a pretty reliable measure of the attitudes of Iowans at fair time.”

The 2019 overall turnout was the third highest for Cast Your Kernel. In 2012, 72,216 people voted when Republican Mitt Romney defeated President Barack Obama, a Democrat, 55-45%. In 2016, 69,598 people voted when Trump topped Democrat Hillary Clinton 56-44%.

Obama is the only Democrat to win the Cast Your Kernel poll. In 2008, he defeated Republican John McCain 51-49% with 48,865 kernels cast.

About WHO-HD Channel 13
WHO-HD Channel 13, owned by Tribune Media Company, is celebrating 65 years of broadcast service to central Iowa.  Channel 13 News prides itself on bringing viewers rich, local content.  From investigations to ground-breaking, creative coverage of the big daily story, more Iowans are choosing Channel 13 News.
So far in 2019, WHO-HD has earned 30 awards for journalism excellence, the most of any Iowa station, including:
• 1 National Edward R. Murrow award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for Excellence in Video
• 2 Regional Edward R. Murrow award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for Excellence in Video and Excellence in Sound.
• 11 Eric Sevareid awards including First Place for Best Newscast, Weather, Series and Sports Reporting from the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association (MBJA)
• 17 awards from the Iowa Broadcast News Association (IBNA) including first place for Overall Excellence, Sports Reporting and Weather Coverage
The technology leader, WHO-HD Channel 13 is now utilizing a powerful-new S-Band Doppler Radar…the most advanced technology available in Iowa. In 2010, WHO-HD became the first commercial television station in Iowa to begin broadcasting all local programming in total high definition in 2010.  In addition, WHO-HD was the first station in Iowa to: utilize videotape, broadcast live from news events and protect with live Doppler radar.

About Tribune Media Company
Tribune Media Company (NYSE: TRCO) is home to a diverse portfolio of television and digital properties driven by quality news, entertainment and sports programming. Tribune Media is comprised of Tribune Broadcasting’s 42 owned or operated local television stations reaching approximately 49 million households, national entertainment cable network WGN America, whose reach is more than 75 million households, Tribune Studios, and a variety of digital applications and websites commanding 49 million monthly unique visitors online. Tribune Media also includes Chicago’s WGN-AM, the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV and Covers Media Group, an unrivaled source of online sports betting information. Additionally, the Company owns and manages a significant number of real estate properties across the U.S. and holds a variety of investments, including a 31% interest in Television Food Network, G.P., which operates Food Network and Cooking Channel. For more information please visit www.tribunemedia.com.
###

Jessica Bellucci
VP, Communications
Tribune Broadcasting
220 East 42nd Street, 10 Floor
New York, NY 10017
O: 212-210-2626
C: 917-463-7037
@BellucciPR
jessica@tribunemedia.com