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ENLARGE
Election officials sort and process ballots in the basement of the Douglas County Courthouse during the general election earlier this month.
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ENLARGE
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ENLARGE
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A voter places his ballot into a drop box located in a parking lot across the street from the Douglas County Library during this month’s general election. Older county residents were more likely to fill out their ballots and return them than younger people.
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The older Douglas County voters were on Election Day, the more likely they were to vote.
And members of one of the two major political parties were more likely to fill out and turn in ballots than those registered as independents or as members of the smaller political parties.
A precinct-by-precinct analysis of the unofficial final results compiled by the Douglas County Elections Office revealed that 91 percent of the county’s voters 55 and older cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election.
The participation rate dropped at a fairly brisk pace after that.
Eighty-one percent of the registered voters between the ages of 40 and 54 cast ballots, while 65 percent of those 25 to 39 voted.
The youngest group of voters, those 18 to 24, cast ballots at the lowest rate, 50 percent.
Still, Jim Moore, a politics and government professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, found a reason to celebrate.
The youngest voters historically cast ballots at a very low rate, typically 25 to 30 percent, he said. Many people in that age group are transient, attending college away from home or leaving their hometowns to find work.
“That was a very good turnout,” Moore said.
He said supporters of President-elect Barack Obama did a good job beginning with the May primary to sign up new voters, especially those of high school and college age. Those efforts continued through the general election.
“Obama obviously attracted a lot of new, younger voters,” he said. “There was a huge push to register people.”
He said older voters are typically more engaged than younger voters and the large turnout of those 55 and older isn’t surprising.
Those voters make up 51 percent of Douglas County’s registered voters, 33,375 out of 65,828. Older voters made up 57 percent of the total of those who voted in the Nov. 4 election.
Overall, 81.4 percent of Douglas County registered voters submitted ballots. That number might change slightly before the results are certified. A few ballots that were submitted in other Oregon counties on Election Day and returned here, along with others where voters were called in to verify their signatures, are still being processed.
“I thought it was a pretty good turnout,” said Patty Hitt, a county elections supervisor.
Statewide, 86.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Nearly 1.86 million ballots were returned.
The record was set in 1960. An 86.5 percent turnout was recorded when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon battled for the presidency.
Four years ago, the presidential election recorded a turnout of 82.3 percent in Douglas County. The two previous presidential elections, in 2000 and 1996, had turnouts of 75.5 percent and 70 percent, respectively. In 1992, 82.7 percent of the county’s registered voters cast ballots.
Riversdale Precinct 35, west of the Roseburg city limits and north of Garden Valley Road, recorded the largest election turnout. Ninety-one percent of the 1,022 voters in that precinct cast ballots.
Ninety-six percent of the voters 55 and older in Precinct 35 submitted ballots, five points above the county average for that age group. Even the 18-to-24 age group had a 62 percent participation rate, 12 points above the county average.
Loon Lake Precinct 8 has only 60 voters, but 54 of them (90 percent) voted in the election. That was the second-highest countywide.
The lowest precincts were Glendale County No. 72 (65 percent), Clarks Branch No. 26 (67 percent) and Lane No. 43 in Roseburg (69 percent).
By political party, the Republicans recorded the highest turnout, with 85.7 percent of the party’s members (24,677 of 28,782) casting ballots. Among Democrats, 84.1 percent of party members submitted ballots.
Only 66.3 percent of nonaffiliated, or independent, voters participated.
“I’m very pleased with the Republican turnout,” party spokesman Bob Cotterell said. “A lot of people worked very had to make that happen. We had a lot of people working the phones and getting signs out and talking up the candidates.”
He said it was interesting that party members voted at a much higher rate than the independents.
“Obviously, they’re the most engaged,” Cotterell said.
Dean Byers, chairman of the Douglas County Democratic Party, said he was surprised the Republican vote was heavier in the county. He said county Democrats were excited by Obama’s presidential run and by Jeff Merkley’s successful challenge of two-term Sen. Gordon Smith.
“I was very pleased with the Democratic turnout,” Byers said.
He thought a higher percentage of Democrats would have turned out, but some of them may have failed to turn in a ballot because of the polls that suggested Obama would win big nationally over Arizona Sen. John McCain.
“I think that has as much of an effect as when they announce the results in the East and people quit voting in the West,” he said.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
And members of one of the two major political parties were more likely to fill out and turn in ballots than those registered as independents or as members of the smaller political parties.
A precinct-by-precinct analysis of the unofficial final results compiled by the Douglas County Elections Office revealed that 91 percent of the county’s voters 55 and older cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election.
The participation rate dropped at a fairly brisk pace after that.
Eighty-one percent of the registered voters between the ages of 40 and 54 cast ballots, while 65 percent of those 25 to 39 voted.
The youngest group of voters, those 18 to 24, cast ballots at the lowest rate, 50 percent.
Still, Jim Moore, a politics and government professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, found a reason to celebrate.
The youngest voters historically cast ballots at a very low rate, typically 25 to 30 percent, he said. Many people in that age group are transient, attending college away from home or leaving their hometowns to find work.
“That was a very good turnout,” Moore said.
He said supporters of President-elect Barack Obama did a good job beginning with the May primary to sign up new voters, especially those of high school and college age. Those efforts continued through the general election.
“Obama obviously attracted a lot of new, younger voters,” he said. “There was a huge push to register people.”
He said older voters are typically more engaged than younger voters and the large turnout of those 55 and older isn’t surprising.
Those voters make up 51 percent of Douglas County’s registered voters, 33,375 out of 65,828. Older voters made up 57 percent of the total of those who voted in the Nov. 4 election.
Overall, 81.4 percent of Douglas County registered voters submitted ballots. That number might change slightly before the results are certified. A few ballots that were submitted in other Oregon counties on Election Day and returned here, along with others where voters were called in to verify their signatures, are still being processed.
“I thought it was a pretty good turnout,” said Patty Hitt, a county elections supervisor.
Statewide, 86.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Nearly 1.86 million ballots were returned.
The record was set in 1960. An 86.5 percent turnout was recorded when John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon battled for the presidency.
Four years ago, the presidential election recorded a turnout of 82.3 percent in Douglas County. The two previous presidential elections, in 2000 and 1996, had turnouts of 75.5 percent and 70 percent, respectively. In 1992, 82.7 percent of the county’s registered voters cast ballots.
Riversdale Precinct 35, west of the Roseburg city limits and north of Garden Valley Road, recorded the largest election turnout. Ninety-one percent of the 1,022 voters in that precinct cast ballots.
Ninety-six percent of the voters 55 and older in Precinct 35 submitted ballots, five points above the county average for that age group. Even the 18-to-24 age group had a 62 percent participation rate, 12 points above the county average.
Loon Lake Precinct 8 has only 60 voters, but 54 of them (90 percent) voted in the election. That was the second-highest countywide.
The lowest precincts were Glendale County No. 72 (65 percent), Clarks Branch No. 26 (67 percent) and Lane No. 43 in Roseburg (69 percent).
By political party, the Republicans recorded the highest turnout, with 85.7 percent of the party’s members (24,677 of 28,782) casting ballots. Among Democrats, 84.1 percent of party members submitted ballots.
Only 66.3 percent of nonaffiliated, or independent, voters participated.
“I’m very pleased with the Republican turnout,” party spokesman Bob Cotterell said. “A lot of people worked very had to make that happen. We had a lot of people working the phones and getting signs out and talking up the candidates.”
He said it was interesting that party members voted at a much higher rate than the independents.
“Obviously, they’re the most engaged,” Cotterell said.
Dean Byers, chairman of the Douglas County Democratic Party, said he was surprised the Republican vote was heavier in the county. He said county Democrats were excited by Obama’s presidential run and by Jeff Merkley’s successful challenge of two-term Sen. Gordon Smith.
“I was very pleased with the Democratic turnout,” Byers said.
He thought a higher percentage of Democrats would have turned out, but some of them may have failed to turn in a ballot because of the polls that suggested Obama would win big nationally over Arizona Sen. John McCain.
“I think that has as much of an effect as when they announce the results in the East and people quit voting in the West,” he said.
• You can reach reporter John Sowell at 957-4209 or by e-mail at jsowell@nrtoday.com.
