Nevada voter turnout rate lowest since 1978

CARSON CITY — The 45.51 percent voter turnout in Tuesday’s general election is the lowest reported in Nevada going back to at least 1978, the secretary of state’s office said Wednesday.

The next lowest turnout found in a search of the agency’s records shows a 49.01 percent turnout in 1998.

The turnout compares with the most recent midterm election in 2010, when voter turnout was 64.64 percent with U.S. Sen. Harry Reid’s re-election drawing high interest.

Clark County turnout was 41.46 percent, compared to 63.48 percent in the 2010 midterm election. It was the lowest turnout in a general election going back at least to 1962, according to records maintained by the county. The next lowest was 53.14 percent in 1998.

Washoe County Voter Registrar of Voters Luanne Cutler said Washoe turnout came in a bit higher than expected at 51.61 percent. The lowest turnout in recent memory was 51 percent, so the 2014 results just beat that out, she said.

While turnout was low, there were still some issues with counting the ballots that pushed the final results into early Wednesday morning.

Computer issues with counting absentee ballots in Washoe and White Pine counties contributed to delays in reporting the statewide final results from Tuesday’s general election.

Election officials in both counties reported the same problem, which came after all the votes cast in early voting and on Election Day were tallied. After that, problems were encountered with counting the absentee ballots due to technical issues with the systems.

Cutler said that as a result, it took about three hours to fix the problem and report final totals about 2:18 a.m. Otherwise the results were complete before 11 p.m., she said.

White Pine County Clerk Lyn Burleigh reported the same issue, with the county finalizing its voter totals by about midnight.

No significant issues were reported in Clark County, where the final numbers were posted by 12:05 a.m., said county spokesman Dan Kulin.

The statewide final numbers were posted by 2:21 a.m. Wednesday.

Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.