Ballots Trickling In Despite High Profile Race

ELECTION  BALLOTS  ELECTIONS 

By Chris Lehman

Salem, OR  May 13, 2008 4:06 p.m.

There’s one week to go before the May 20 election and the deadline to turn in ballots in Oregon.

Just 18 percent of registered voters have turned in their ballots up to now.

Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury is unconcerned by the pace of voting.  He says the match-up between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will drive turnout, at least on the Democratic side.

Bill Bradbury:  “The turnout of Democratic voters is going to be dramatically higher because of the contest. The turnout of Republican voters may in fact be considerably lower because there’s no real contest going on.”

Oregon has conducted its elections entirely by mail since 1998.

The pace of voting this year is slightly ahead of the same point in the 2004 Presidential primary.

Online:

Ballot Return Totals (.pdf)

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