State Details Voter Turnout
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSecretary of State Connie Lawson has announced voter turnout totals for the recent municipal general election. She says around 21 percent of the more than 2.7 million eligible voters went to the polls November 3. Ohio County led all counties with a 63 percent turnout rate. LaGrange County was last with a rate just over seven percent.
Nearly 600,000 registered voters cast ballots this month in 88 counties. Four counties did not have a general election.
Lawson says "as I review the turnout numbers, it appears that the areas with the highest turnout were areas with contested races or issues. We continue to see that issues and candidates drive turnout in elections and this is especially true with local races. The Secretary of State’s office conducted an unprecedented municipal election voter outreach campaign to remind Hoosiers to vote this fall. To our knowledge, this is the first time the office has conducted a paid voter outreach advertising campaign during a municipal election year. The office harnessed the power of TV, radio, print, digital and social media to encourage Hoosiers to make their voices heard. We will continue our campaign in 2016 to encourage voter participation."
The Secretary of State’s office says its voter list maintenance efforts will continue. Technology modernization is also ongoing. Lawson’s office says more than a third of the state’s 92 counties have converted to ePollBooks electronic balloting technology. Twenty-three counties also implemented vote centers.
Lawson says "I will continue to look for ways to help counties modernize the election process, making it easier for Hoosiers to vote and to protect the integrity of our elections. I have received overwhelming positive feedback from county election officials, poll workers and voters about vote centers and ePollbooks and will continue to move Indiana forward."