Voter turnout in Thurston County lower than previous primaries

As of Tuesday night, voter turnout in Thurston County is lower than it was in the last three primary elections

In Thurston County, 194,695 people are registered to vote, and 40,123 ballots have been counted so far. It is estimated that there are around 20,000 ballots left to count, resulting in a total of around 60,123 voters, or a 31% voter turnout.

Voter turnout has decreased since the 2020 primary, when 107,658 ballots were cast. Although there were fewer people registered to vote — around 190,200 — the voter turnout for the 2020 primary election in Thurston County was over 56%, resulting in a significant high in the history of voter turnout in Thurston County.

This year’s primary is on track to perform under the 2018 primary election that had a voter turnout of a little over 38% and the 2016 primary that had over 37%. Although there are more than 26,000 registered voters now than there were in 2016 in Thurston County, this year’s primary is on track for fewer votes than the 62,300 ballots counted in 2016.