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Look who is (and isn't) voting

by Mike Patrick Staff Writer
| June 7, 2018 1:00 AM

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English

An Associated Press story published Tuesday in The Press noted that Kootenai County had the lowest turnout in the state’s May 15 primary.

Sad but true, confirmed Kootenai County’s elections manager, Carrie Phillips.

While the state had its highest primary election turnout in 16 years at more than 30 percent, Kootenai County brought up the rear at 22 percent.

If there’s a silver lining, however, Phillips said the state’s total included only those who voted on May 15. When absentee ballots were included, she said, Kootenai County logged a more respectable 29.5 percent total turnout.

Meantime, former Kootenai County Clerk Dan English — now a Coeur d’Alene city councilman but an avid elections analyst always — broke down some of the primary election data by voter age. Noting that his work has not been officially verified, English said he was hoping to see strong participation among younger voters.

Didn’t happen.

“What really jumped out at me was the older voters,” he said Wednesday. “We already know/believe older voters are good voters but I was still a bit astounded at the numbers.”

According to English’s spreadsheet, only 3 percent (637) of registered Kootenai County voters between the ages of 18 and 25 cast ballots in the primary. In the age 25-40 group, he said, 9 percent (2,024) voted. In the age 40-50 group, 10 percent (2,209) cast ballots. And in the age 50-60 group, 15 percent (3,511) voted.

But in the 60 and over age group? That’s where a whopping 63 percent (14,298) of the votes were generated.

“Voters 50 and over then represented 78 percent,” he said, “or 4 out of 5 voters.”

Of Kootenai County’s 76,980 registered voters, 22,705 cast ballots. Of those, 74 percent were Republican, 23 percent Democrat and 3 percent nonpartisan.