As of this morning, Primary Election Day, of the 251,730 ballots mailed to Clark County voters, only 55,466 have been returned.
Unfortunately, these low numbers are on par with past Clark County Primary turnout numbers.
In the 2012, of the 234,411 registered voters in the county, 71,882 turned in ballots. Clark County had the lowest voter turnout in the state at 30.66 percent.
Really, Clark County? We can do so much better.
Analysts have tried to identify why voters in our area might be so apathetic when it comes to election participation: Proximity to Oregon and the large number of residents who work in Portland but live in Clark County, media coverage, and the vote-by-mail system, are among the suspected culprits.
While there are no Camas or Washougal city races or issues on the 2014 Primary ballot, there are a number of races that stand to have an impact on Clark County residents as a whole. From the battle for Clark County sheriff to the race for Third Congressional District Representative and 18th Legislative District Representative, these races matter and will determine who makes it onto the General Election ballot in November.
With that in mind, voters still have the opportunity to dig their ballot out from underneath that pile of mail, vote, and deliver it to one of the more than 30 ballot deposit locations that are open today until 8 p.m. Camas drop off sites include Dorothy Fox Elementary School, 2623 N.W. Sierra St., Grace Foursquare Church, 717 S.E. Everett Road, Helen Baller Elementary School, 1954 N.E. Garfield St., and Prune Hill Elementary School, 1601 N.W. Tidland St. In Washougal, ballots can be delivered to the community center, 1681 “C” St.
So grab that voters’ pamphlet and exercise your right.
