Davis vote turnout tops 79%

FARMINGTON — Davis County voters turned out in a record number last week, with 79.37 percent of the county's registered voters casting ballots, compared to an estimated 75 percent statewide.

Including 7,884 absentee ballots, this year's vote was 110,792 ballots. In the 1992 general election the county recorded a turnout of 84.5 percent, but the population base was smaller then and only 84,000 votes were cast.

In the 2000 presidential election 89,000 ballots were cast, or 67 percent of the registered voters.

Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings surmised a large number of tax proposals and propositions on the ballot caused the high number of voters to turn out. Besides the $24.8 million jail bond, which passed, voters had a recreation, arts and parks proposal and the chance to remove fluoride from the water.