Thurston County records 83% turnout in 2020 general election as ballots certified
About 83.8% of Thurston County voters turned out for the 2020 general election, according to the statistics released during a Canvassing Board meeting on Tuesday that certified the results.
In all, the county auditor’s office recorded 201,865 active voters and counted 169,231 ballots. For comparison, the 2016 general election saw a 77.7% turnout rate.
Statewide, voter turnout hit 84.1%, just shy of a record, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
The county rejected just 61 ballots due to late postmarks.
“I’m so proud of that late postmark number,” said Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall. “That is a historic low, especially in a presidential election like this.”
The auditor’s office rejected 931 ballots of the 170,162 it received for signature issues and other miscellaneous reasons that invalidated ballots. The office also cured 1,450 ballots, meaning voters successfully corrected an issue with their ballot.
Hall said the county saw a high return rate at drop-off boxes. The auditor’s office recorded 31,830 or 18.7% of ballots were returned by mail while 137,577 or 80.85% were returned at drop-off boxes.
“When we went to prepaid postage at the first general election, our mail and drop-box returns were about 50-50,” Hall said. “So I’m really pleased that 80% of them came back in drop boxes.”
She said drop boxes are the most direct way to return a ballot and it saves taxpayer money because they don’t have to pay postage on the ballot.
Hall said she believes her office counted three ballots that were fraudulently returned for deceased voters, representing 0.0017% of ballots cast.
“While our safeguards work the overwhelming majority of the time, people do sometimes successfully break the law, which is why we have significant criminal penalties for committing voter fraud on the back end,” Hall said. “We take this very seriously.”
The fraudulent votes will be sent to county prosecuting attorney Jon Tunheim, who also sits on the canvassing board, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations for review, Hall said.
County Commissioner John Hutchings, who also sits on the canvasing board, said he has received unsubstantiated complaints of voter fraud and asked Hall if she could vouch for the security of the election.
“I am 100% positive that no systems in Washington state were compromised,” Hall said. “I have received those emails. They have not presented any evidence. It’s all conspiracy theories.”
Hall said her office has been preparing for this election since 2017 with the support of state and federal agencies to preserve the integrity of the election.
Hutching said he had full confidence in the election result and the work done by Hall’s office.
“I have unwavering support for Secretary of State Kim Wyman,” Hutching said. “Thank you, Mary Hall. I have the same respect and confidence in you too.”
