Vote turnout here behind overall state mark

Out of Whitman county’s 25,130 registered voters, 17,565 cast ballots in this years general election for a turnout at 69.9 percent. That is almost two percent lower than the overall state turnout of 71.83 percent.

The percent of all registered voters who cast ballots in 2018 nearly topped the midterm record turnout of 71.85 percent set in 1970. Participation by 1,101 more voters would have set a new turnout record. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, of the total population of eligible voters in Washington, 60 percent participated.

Washington state tallied 3,133,448 ballots returned from 4,362,454 registered voters. State wide more voters participated in the 2018 General Election than in any state midterm before.

This was much higher than last year’s general elections, but lower than the 2016 presidential general election. The total number of votes cast was the third-most in the state’s history following the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections.

In 2017, the county had 22,241 registered voters, but only 8,624 cast ballots for a 38.78 percent voter turnout.

Washington State had 4,265,433 registered voters in 2017, but only 1,582,481 voted for a 37.1 percent turnout.

The general election of 2016 in Whitman County had a ballot count of 18,328 out of the 21,629 registered voters for an 84.74 percent turnout.

The state turnout in the presidential election was 78.76 percent with 4,270,270 registered voters and 3,363,440 ballots cast.