Voter turnout is lowest in Umatilla County

By Terry Murry on Thursday, May 25th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

SALEM – The May 16 special election in Oregon has low voter turnout, which is usually the case with no big-ticket elections on the ballot. Only 26 percent of the state’s registered voters participated and, once again, Umatilla County had the lowest voter participation at 13.2 percent.

Morrow County’s turnout rate was higher than the state average at 29 percent. Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson said he wished it was even higher.

“The school district, port district – they affect you a lot more than even your house or senate district member,” he said. “I wish we had more people participate in those elections.”

It’s not a question of urban vs. rural in who turns out to vote. The highest voter turnout in all of Oregon is 54.9 percent from Wallowa County.

Elsewhere in Eastern Oregon, Grant County had 27.9 percent, Union County had 24.1 percent, Harney County had 21.2 percent, Baker County had 17.6 percent, and Malheur County had 17.1 percent.