About 71 percent of registered voters in Latah County cast ballots Tuesday, according to the county elections office. The total county turnout was 10 percent higher in this election than any midterm since at least 1994, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.
The number of people that turned out to the polls — 16,174 of 22,699 registered voters in Latah County — was in line with past presidential election years. In 2016, 72.1 percent of registered voters cast ballots, this midterm election saw 71.3 percent voter turnout.
According to County Clerk Henrianne Westberg, the Latah County Fairgrounds polling site saw an influx of students at around 5:30 p.m.
She said people tended to vote straight partisan on their ballots.
“As the precincts came in people tended to vote straight,” Westberg said. “That means either a Republican or Democratic ballot.”
Westberg said in her time as clerk she has learned that you can determine the winners of the elections by looking at the absentee and early voter ballots.
“It shows a sampling of your county,” she said. “And this time that rang true.”
Westberg also said that in just one day 425 people cast ballots through early voting.
Associated Students University of Idaho Chief of Staff, Sean Collins, said that 375 students were bussed to the polling location from the ASUI Party at the Polls event in the Idaho Commons. Collins said that ASUI considers the event to be a huge success.
ASUI President Nicole Skinner said that she believes the next step for upcoming elections is to bring back the campus polling location. Skinner said that she hopes that the high turnout trend continues.
Westberg does plan to bring back a campus polling place for future elections, but she doesn’t see the Kibbie Dome as a viable location because it is hard to access for some voters. Westberg said that the last election where the dome was available as a polling location, waves of students occurred at the same time as this year.
“I think people are feeling very mobilized to engage with the political process right now,” Skinner said. “Young people especially are realizing the impact their voice can have on the world.”
Westberg said that she hopes that the increase in voter turnout continues in the future.
“I think as students stay engaged, they will understand and learn more about the voting process, how to vote early,” Westberg said.
Ellamae Burnell can be reached at [email protected]