Marin Tops State in Voter Turnout

Marin County has garnered yet another top position when compared with other counties in California. The wealthiest and healthiest county in California also had the highest turnout of registered voters in the Nov. 6 presidential election. 

Elaine Ginnold, with the Marin County Registrar of Voters, released information last week reporting Marin saw 87 percent of its 155,025 registered voters cast ballots in November. It was the highest percentage among the state’s 58 counties.

However, voter turnout was down from the last presidential election in 2008, when Marin saw 90.8 percent of registered voters cast their ballots.

This year, California saw a statewide average voter turnout of 72 percent. 

In Marin, 65 percent of voters cast their vote by mail while the remaining 35 percent voted at the polls.

Marin also has one of the highest percentages of registered eligible voters in California, according to the Secretary of State’s October 22, 2012 Report of Registration. Of the 176,604 citizens eligible to register to vote in Marin County, 87.8 percent are registered, compared to the statewide average of 76.7 percent.

In the November election, 74 percent of Marin voters backed the re-election of President Barack Obama. In 2008, Obama garnered nearly 78 percent of the total votes cast for the race.

This year, Marin voters also gave resounding support to a pair of propositions that were soundly defeated across California: death penalty repeal measure Proposition 34 and Proposition 37, which sought to require the labeling of genetically modified food.

Did you vote in November? Did you vote by mail or go to the polls? Are you surprised by Marin’s high voter turnout?