State midterm voter turnout falls just short of expectations, still impresses

Voter turnout in Washington state fell short of some lofty expectations, but still managed to beat the state’s last midterm in 2014.

RELATED: Pre-paid postage for Washington ballots didn’t increase voter turnout

Voter turnout expectations were high in Washington state leading into the 2018 midterm election. Secretary of State Kim Wyman expected voter turnout to sit somewhere in the mid-70s, or even 80 percent, a number that would have topped the 76.8 percent turnout for the 2016 presidential election.

With just a handful of votes left to count, voter turnout in Washington will check in at 71.1 percent, just short of the state record of 71.8, set in 1970. The state’s second highest total actually came about during the 2010 midterm, following President Barack Obama’s 2008 election victory.

That said, there’s little denying that enthusiasm for this midterm topped the state’s most recent midterm by a wide margin, when just 54.1 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in 2014. Still, prior to 2014, Washington voters have actually made a habit of showing up in large numbers both for midterms and presidential elections.

2012 (presidential): 81.2 percent
2010 (midterm): 71.2 percent
2008 (presidential): 84.6 percent
2006 (midterm): 64.5 percent

Check local election results

While prepaid postage on ballots didn’t do much to move the needle past the last midterm’s numbers, 2018 is still the fourth best turnout in a midterm election since the state began tracking in 1958. This year also marks the second highest midterm turnout since 1974.

King County, holding similarly lofty hopes of cracking 70 percent turnout, managed to haul in a whopping 74 percent for its own total.

“I haven’t seen this level of interest and enthusiasm by our voters, and interest in participating in a midterm election — it definitely has much more of a presidential election buzz,” Director of Elections for King County Julie Wise told KIRO Radio prior to Election Day.

RELATED: King County primed for biggest midterm voter turnout ever

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