Voter turnout for the mid-term election Nov. 8 will be good, Kitsap County elections officials predict.

Local issues — ranging from concerns around crime, homelessness and education — for the most part will motivate more people to fill out their ballots, heads of the county Democrat and Republican parties said.

“What we are projecting is 75 percent turnout,” county Auditor Paul Andrews said, which would be a 4 percent increase compared with the last mid-term election in 2018.

Factors Andrews considers when forecasting turnout include what contests are on the ballot, how many races are contested vs. unopposed, and whether there are levies, which can increase the number of people voting.

Races on the ballot include — U.S. senator, U.S. representative 6th District, a host of state legislature races, secretary of state, several county positions, including commissioner district 3, state and county judge races, and fire protection levies.

Mid-terms never bring out as many voters as elections in presidential years. “We get a lot more turnout in the presidential election year,” Andrews said. For example, in 2020, when Joe Biden faced then-President Donald Trump, voter turnout in Kitsap was nearly 84 percent.

Johanna Baxter, chair of Kitsap Democrats added: “We are going to have some pretty good turnout. People as you know are very passionate about issues going on right now.

“Doing a couple of hours phone banking last night, I received a lot of positive responses [to the question], “Hey, are you going to get out and vote?’ Most everybody was yes. Usually, this time of year people are like, ‘Maybe I’ll go vote.’ But, this year there are a lot more definite yeses.”

Baxter said more people are also interested in election volunteering. “I would say we have 35 to 45 percent more people calling and asking, ‘Hey, how do I get involved?’ Or, ‘How do I get a sign?’”

Juilana McMahan, chair of Kitsap Republicans, predicts a high turnout. “I believe the primary election results show there is a higher interest in this non-presidential year,” McMahan said.

Issues

Many national news reports have focused on abortion, border issues and inflation but local party leaders say local issues are what is important to local voters.

“There are always going to be national issues that come to the surface that can impact voter turnout, but I think the majority of Kitsap citizens care about what happens to them and their neighbors. Local issues are what’s going to drive people to the polls,” McMahan said.

The Republican chair said interest in crime is one motivating factor. “The Democrats passed laws in 2020-21 that basically disarmed our law enforcement officers, including restricting police pursuit of criminals and limiting the ability of them to restrain those engaged in criminal behaviors. This has resulted in a huge increase in crime rates in Kitsap County, especially in the areas of robberies, motor vehicle thefts and serious assaults,” McMahan said.

The Republican leader said Democrats in the state legislature also made decisions during the pandemic that negatively impacted education.

“Democrat lawmakers in the 23 and 26 legislative districts voted to support Governor Inslee’s COVID-based state of emergency and the rules that began in February 2020. The governor’s emergency actions have caused irreparable damage. Many children missed up to two years of their education, and you cannot go back and gain those two years again.”

Baxter said: “This year things that are really on people’s minds is crime in the area and homelessness. Even health care for women. Recently there was an article in the paper about St. Michael’s accreditation, and people are worried about being able to get appropriate medical care in a timely fashion.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade has also fired people up, Baxter said. “It will definitely increase voter turnout because they want to get their voice heard on this.”

Baxter said she understands the high court’s decision to let states decide abortion laws will prompt folks on both sides of the issue to vote. “It’s hard to say which party will benefit the most.”

McMahan said abortion is not a top issue locally. “I think there is always a group of people who find that issue motivating for them and that has never changed. That [issue] is not what our candidates are hearing at the door. At the door, our candidates are hearing about concerns about safety, education for their children and being able to earn a living.”

Baxter said inflation is another big issue. “That’s going to be weighing on people’s minds in a big way at the polls this year. I know that is being painted as the Achilles heel of Biden. Pretty much anything can be painted to the current president, but my thought has always been — what did the current president inherit from the previous president.”

Registration

To vote by mail and online, an individual will need to register by Oct. 31. In-person voter registration continues until 8 p.m. on Election Day at the county auditor’s office or the voter centers at the Kitsap County Administration Building in Port Orchard, the Marvin Williams Recreation Center in Bremerton and the Poulsbo Fire Station.