General election brings out strong local voter turnout

November 22, 2011

Area voters went to the polls in stronger numbers than residents in other parts of Spokane County and throughout the state, according to statistics released by the Spokane County Elections Office.
All told, 151,697 ballots were returned to the elections office for the 2011 general election, which relates to a 57.02 percent voter turnout.
The Stevens County turnout was 58.19 percent, while the statewide average is 43.43 percent, down from 50.9 percent in the last off-year election, 2009.
The turnout in the Spokane County precincts encompassing the Deer Park School District, where three school board positions were on the ballot, had a 57.89 percent turnout, slightly more than Riverside School District precincts (57.75 percent), which had no contested school board races.
The two city of Deer Park precincts, which included a city council race, had a 56.71 turnout.
The highest voter turnout in Spokane County in precincts with at least 100 ballots returned was Fire District No. 13 at 64.9 percent. The city of Airway Heights had the lowest turnout at 43.02 percent.