Jefferson County voter participation in the Nov. 2 general election was the second highest in the state.
The county’s final voter turnout, after election results were certified Tuesday, was 81.56 percent, with 17,738 ballots county out of 21,749 mailed.
That put the county behind only one other county, the much less-populous Columbia County in the southeastern part of the state.
The Columbia County auditor counted 2,196 ballots out of 2,591 mailed to registered voters — an 84.79 percent turnout.
San Juan County had the third largest turnout — 80.84 percent, or 9,382 ballots counted out of 11,606 mailed.
Clallam County is 15th in the state for voter turnout, with a percentage of 74.42 percent, or 34,079 ballots counted out of 45,611 mailed.
Jefferson County traditionally has ranked among the highest voter turnouts in the state.
None of the outcomes reported for three contested county races or the single local ballot measure changed after Tuesday’s final counts.
County victories certified Tuesday are:
• County Commissioner District 3 incumbent John Austin, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Jim Boyer, by 9,744 votes, or 57.84 percent, to 7,102 votes, or 42.16 percent.
• Chief Deputy Criminal Prosecutor Scott Rosekrans of Port Townsend, a Democrat, defeated Port Townsend Attorney Paul Richmond, who stated no party preference, for the prosecuting attorney-coroner position, winning 9,902 votes, or 62.13 percent, to Richmond’s 6,035 votes, or 37.87 percent.
• Incumbent District Court Judge Jill Landes of Port Townsend won another term by defeating challenger John Wood, a Port Townsend attorney by 7,973 votes, or 54.33 percent, to 6,702 votes, or 45.67 percent.
• Proposition 1, which increased county sales tax three cents on every $10 purchase, was approved with 9,249 votes, or 56.28 percent, in favor and 7,186 votes, or 43.72 percent, against.
Also certified were districtwide results in the 24th District elections.
Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, won 34,977 votes, or 56.18 percent, to Republican Dan Gase’s 27,277 votes, or 43.82 percent. Gase lives in Port Angeles.
Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger, a Sequim Democrat, won 32,300 votes, or 52.33 percent, to Republican Jim McEntire’s 29,427 votes, or 47.67. McEntire is a Port of Port Angeles commissioner and a Sequim resident.
For information on voter turnout in counties statewide, see the state Secretary of State website at www.sos.wa.gov/.
