Print  email 

This off-year election follows a record-high turnout of 85 percent in last year's hotly contested presidential-gubernatorial election year. With no statewide contests or congressional battles on the ballot this year to spur voter interest, the turnout should be about average for an off-year, Reed said. As of Oct. 12, Washington has 3,575,498 registered voters. More than 50,000 registrations have been culled from the rolls since last November’s record registration of over 3.63 million. Records for the past four decades show that odd-year turnouts average around 51 or 52 percent, with some higher spikes in years with multiple controversial ballot measures. An assortment of good local races, a pair of hotly debated state ballot measures, and the popularity of vote-by-mail should keep this year's turnout on pace, Reed said. Some counties surveyed by the state Elections Division said they expect to exceed the Secretary's prediction. King County, which has open races for County Executive and Seattle Mayor that are generating a lot of attention, is expecting 56 percent, for instance. On the other hand, some large counties' projections are lower: Spokane, 50; Pierce, 45; and Clark, for instance. At the other end of the spectrum, Clallam is hoping for a 70 percent turnout. Reed, the state's chief elections official, said a pair of significant ballot measures, local government races, and scattered legislative and judicial races provide plenty of good reasons to vote.