Voter turnout at 24 percent for liquor referendum

With ballots still streaming in, voter turnout for the election on the wet/dry referendum has reached 24.34 percent.

The election is still ongoing as scheduled; however, the county is still awaiting a ruling from Chief Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson from a hearing held Wednesday regarding a complaint from a local resident who is seeking to challenge the referendum’s legality. The complaint claims the election should not continue because the petitions to hold the referendum was presented to the Board of County Commissioners 159 days after their certification, rather than within the 120-day time frame required by law.

There are currently 16,747 eligible voters in Washington County. Of that number, 4077 ballots had been returned as of about 10 a.m. Thursday, with about 3,500 votes tabulated.

By comparison, voter turnout was for the last five elections was:

72.04 percent for the 2020 General Election, which included the U.S. Presidential Election; 33.96 percent for the 2020 Primary; 22.1 percent for the March 2020 Presidential Preference Primary; 57.74 percent for the 2018 General Election, and 29.72 percent for the 2018 Primary.

Votes can be received until 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21.

If anyone has misplaced their ballot, they can vote in person with identification at the Washington County Elections Office counter with a counter ballot.