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No Surprise, Low Voter Turnout For Primary Election

Surprising no one, Washoe County logged a low voter turnout in Nevada’s primary election this year. Less than a quarter of registered voters participated. Reno Public Radio’s Anh Gray has the details.

Slightly more than 21 percent of registered voters in Washoe County cast their ballots earlier this week. Based on numbers released by the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, this year’s turnout is in line with previous primaries.

In comparison, turnout statewide is even lower at about 19 percent. Local political scientist Fred Lokken says typically crowded local races keep more people from participating.

“So it’s a very challenging election, every two-year-cycle, for all voters," Lokken says, "and for a lot of them the primary is the most overwhelming, which is why you have such low voter turnout.”

Voter registration increased by about 11 percent since Nevada's primary in 2014. Lokken says the general election will draw even more voters. But even so, the state had one of the lowest turnouts in the country in the last general election.

Anh Gray is a former contributing editor at KUNR Public Radio.