Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office released final voter turnout numbers Friday from November’s general election.

And the results are clear: We’re Number Three!

Oregon’s 85.6 percent turnout rate trailed only Wyoming and Colorado.

Both Mountain West states say over 90-percent of their registered voters went to the ballot box.

Don Hamilton is a spokesman for Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury.

Don Hamilton: “Any time you get a turnout that is over 85 percent, you’re really doing pretty well. Oregonians have always shown a very strong interest in public affairs, but our turnout has gone up ever since the state adopted vote-by-mail in the year 2000.”

Washington came in fourth. And that state is moving toward Oregon’s vote-by-mail system.

Secretary of State Bradbury had earlier predicted a record turnout in Oregon this year. In fact, a higher percentage of voters cast ballots in 1960 and in 2004.

Republican turnout was relatively low, and some political scientists say that may be the reason the state didn’t break its own record.