Nearly 80 percent of Dougals County’s 62,743 registered voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s election.

A total of 62,743 ballots were turned in by the 8 p.m. deadline for a participation rate of 79.4 percent.

Four years ago, during the last presidential election, 81 percent of registered voters in the county cast ballots.

There were 3,184 fewer county residents registered to vote this time and overall 3,625 fewer ballots were turned in for Tuesday’s election than in 2008.

Statewide, the turnout was reported at 71 percent this morning. That percentage is expected to rise as additional ballots are tabulated in counties where the count was not completed overnight.