If it is unclear, many of us LWV members are data nerds. We are excited by evidence, data, and science. So it gives us all kinds of goosebumps to look at ballot return data. (Also some of us are Star Wars fans.)
On October 16th, Kittitas County initially sent 30,785 ballots and over the 18 day voting period, another 862 citizens registered for a total of 31,647 Kittitas County ballots issued prior to 8pm on November 5th. So far 26,936 completed ballots have been returned and 26,701 have been accepted and counted (235 ballots were challenged – most commonly for missing or mismatched signature). This is an 84.4% turnout, currently the fourth highest in the state! [See image #1.] By comparison, in Chelan County the turnout is 79.41%; in Grant County it’s 72.88%; and in Yakima County the turnout is 67.25%.
Let’s look closer at these preliminary turnout numbers! (NOTE: ballots were still being counted and statewide final vote counts had not been certified when this was written in late November.)
Turnout by age is particularly interesting. Kittitas County voters turned out at higher rates in all age categories when compared to statewide numbers, but we in the League of Women Voters are interested in the youngest voter numbers. As you can see from Image 2, statewide 65.7% of the youngest voters (18-24yo) voted.
In Kittitas County our 18-24 year old voters turned out at 73.2%. That’s a 7.5% improvement over the statewide number! [See image 3.] While the League cannot take full credit for this difference in local younger voter turnout, we DO spend a lot of time making voter registration/information presentations in school districts across the county as well as partnering with ASCWU to register and inform CWU students. Our hope is that young voters will enthusiastically participate in this democratic republic to help create a community we all can revel in.
So kudos to all of our Kittitas County neighbors, friends, and family who cared enough about our democracy to vote, and to those of you who worked to encourage others to do likewise.
And SPECIAL THANKS to the election officials who worked (and are working) so tirelessly to ensure the voters and the ballots were safe and secure and that the election is transparent.
THIS is how democracy works!