More voters participated in the 2018 general election than in any Washington state midterm before, and Jefferson County had the third highest turnout of any county in the state.

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman certified vote counts Dec. 4 that totaled 3,133,448 ballots.

Jefferson County ranked third with 83.12 percent, or 21,121 of 25,411 voters voting. San Juan County had the highest turnout, with 83.83 percent, or 11,226 out of 13,392 eligible voters casting ballots. Garfield County came in second with 83.28 percent, or 1,380 out of 1,657 voters casting ballots.

“Historically, we’ve been in the top three for voter turnout,” said Betty Johnson, election coordinator for the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office. “The other two are a little smaller than us, and that helps turnout. When you’re smaller, you’re closer to your neighbors.”

Statistics compiled by the Office of Secretary of State show the statewide turnout approached two additional participation records. The 71.83 percent of all registered voters who cast ballots in 2018 nearly topped the midterm record turnout of 71.85 percent set in 1970. Participation by 1,101 more voters would have set a record.

The total number of votes cast was the third-most in state history, behind only the presidential elections of 2016 and 2012. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, about 60 percent of the total population of Washingtonians eligible to vote participated in the general election, which was among the nation’s top participation rates.

“This year’s excellent turnout shows how strongly Washingtonians engaged with the issues and races on the ballot,” Wyman said. “To continue this trend in future elections, it’s vital to keep voters confident that their voices will be heard. We’ve done a great job creating an accessible and secure election system, but we’re constantly vigilant about the need to build upon those achievements.”

The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office already called in its employees to working during a Saturday before the general election in order to audit all the duplicate ballots so they could be counted in the totals released on election night.

“From now on, we’ll always schedule a Saturday prior to the election as possibly needed,” Johnson said. “This coming February, we’ll probably be fine, because it’s a smaller ballot, with fewer entries to change your mind on.”

But Johnson and her crew of employees and volunteers know more demanding changes are coming, with June 30, 2019, slated to kick off same-day, in-person voter registration.

“Before, you could register up to 29 days prior to an election, online or by mail,” Johnson said. “That’s been shifted to eight days prior, online or by mail. For in-person registration, you can register and hand in your ballot as late as 8 p.m. election night.”

Johnson said election results would not be released until after any remaining voters in line for same-day registration had filed their ballots in order to avoid affecting their votes.

Johnson said it was too early to suggest the county may need to add to its election staff,  although she expects significant streamlining measures to make their processes more efficient.

“Either way, there are big changes in store for this office,” Johnson said.

Wyman said this year’s successful efforts to register more eligible Washingtonians to vote, which can be done online at MyVote.wa.gov, by mail, or in person at county offices, helped produce the historic totals.

“Getting registered is a simple step an adult citizen can take to help decide how government is run,” Wyman said. “Years of dedicated effort have made voting in Washington convenient and trustworthy. From voting by mail to the comprehensive voters’ pamphlet we supply, voters in Washington enjoy the nation’s best resources to learn about and participate in our system. I urge every eligible Washingtonian to register and take part so we can set even more records.”