WASHINGTON-Only 36.41% of voters showed up to the 2023 Washington general election, the lowest number since record started being kept in the 1930s.
The Secretary of State’s website shows ballots in every county have been finalized with 1,758,084 counted ballots. This year, there were 4,829,095 registered voters in the state.
The totals follows a trend of three record low turnout in three of the last eight years. The Northwest Progressive Institute says the previous record was set in 2017 at 37.10% and before that in 2015 with 38.45% turnout.
NPI’s Executive Director Andrew Villeneuve says the turnout seems to be low only for the odd year cycles.
“Most Washington voters are showing up in even years, when state and federal positions are on the ballot, and they appreciate recent reforms we have adopted to make it easier to register and return a ballot,” says Villeneuve.
Estimates from the counties show Yakima (25.82%), Clark(26.73%) and Franklin (27.73%) as the lowest turnouts within the state.
Columbia (55.85%), Whatcom (51.34%) and San Juan (49.29%) recorded the best numbers.
