Found this and many similar problems in veritas prep CAT and have a serious doubt about OA provided.
Would request experts to take a look and suggest explanation:

62% of the registered voters in state W declared themselves Democrats. Despite this, for the past 3 elections, the citizens of state W have voted a Republican into the office as governor.

Which of the following if true,could best explain this apparent incongruity in the results of the past 3 elections in state W?

A) Approximately 78% of the rural residents of state W decalred themselves republicans, as compared with 38% of the urban residents.
B) State elections consist of a primary election in which voters must vote for a candidate matching their declared party followed by a general election in which voters can vote for a candidate of any party.
C) Over the past 5 elections, the percentage of declared republicans who voted was significantly higher than the percentage of declared democrate who voted.
D) Voters must declare a party of preference more than thirty days before the state' primary election, and voters with no declared preference are ineligible to vote in the primary.
E) The state's last democratic governor was initially very popular but lost his bid for re-election after the state's economy suffered a severe recession.
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Black Friday Debrief
Most important component: Cast you vote

I am no expert, but I think that I understand the question.

If there are more Democrats than Republicans in state W, then the only way for a Republican to win the election is for a greater percentage of Republicans to vote than Democrats. You must remember that not all voters cast a vote in an election.

Here is another way to look at it. Say there are only 100 people in state W, 62 Democrats (for 62 percent) and 38 Republicans. So if the voter turnout for the Republican party was 100 percent (all 38 voters voted) and the voter turnout for the Democrats was 50 percent (only 31 Democrats voted), the Republican party would win the election. Remember that is says in choice C that the percentage of declared Republicans who voted was significantly higher than the percentage of declared Democrats who voted.

Choice C appears to be the correct answer.

I hope that you are able to follow my logic and that this is helpful.
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Thanks Souvik. If you focus on word play in option C, it talks about 'percentage' not the 'number'. eg. 90% of 100 is lesser than 80% of 200. Therefore C can not be the answer, it leaves gap.
You take?
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Black Friday Debrief
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I see what you are saying.

Hmm..... would you pick any other choice? If not, we can say C is best of the worst?

hey - the question says "62% of the registered voters in state W declared themselves Democrats" so the base doesn't change. That the problem in your statement above.

so 62% OF ALL REGISTERED VOTERS declared themselves Democrats
38 % OF ALL REGISTERED VOTERS declared themselves R

Per C, Over the past 5 elections, the percentage of declared republicans who voted was significantly higher than the percentage of declared democrate who voted.

Now if only 10 % of the declared Democrats voted and 20% of the declared R voted then Republican would be running office...

Cheers

In explain the Discrepancy CR we are asked to select an answer that can show us how the 2 situation can / could be true... we are NOT asked to prove the statements....

sorry hermit, but not satisfactory. its not about DS, but in critital reasoning if a reason has loopholes (as shown with one example) its not a good enough reason and doesnt help to bridge the gap. I'll forward this question to veritas prep and would check with them..
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Black Friday Debrief
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Agreed ! However, we must also choose the best OPTION available to us? The four remaining answers are less likely to be correct as compared to C...Even if their is a theoretical possibility that C might not be incorrect. The Official GMAT questions would probably not have such a vague answer choice, as the Test makers make it a priority to create answer choices where the CORRECT answer is UN DISPUTABLE (or as un disputable as possible) ..



As Vips has pointed out, There is a huge QUESTION MARK on C, and it would be safe to call this answer choice DISPUTABLE .. Even if it is the best choice of the LOT..I would call it a rather Poor question given that in the entire OG13 and 12 i am yet to come across a question that has an OA that is this debatable. As a Logic question it might a good an excellent question but i doubt that it is a realistic GMAT question from my experience with the OG and other official GMAT questions..
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"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.” - Eric Thomas

Check this link to understand what I mean by 'you can provide more data to turn an option your way'. You have to focus on what CAN provide you an explanation.

the-rate-of-violent-crime-in-this-state-is-up-35-percent-141548.html#p1145280
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Karishma
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