Local voter turnout lowest in 14 years

In another Republican major victory in traditionally Democratic Hill and Blaine counties, voters generally had the lowest turnout since 1998.

The Secretary of State website reports, with all 17 Hill County precincts counted, a slightly more than 53 percent turnout in the county for Tuesday's general election.

The most recent lower turnout was in 1998, with 52 percent.

The low turnout comes at a time of a first - a Republican sweep of Blaine and Hill counties, traditionally counted as union-heavy Democratic strongholds. That follows a GOP win in 2010 in all three contested elections.

Republicans won all five legislative races this in the districts that include Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties.

Legislative redistricting changed the boundaries of districts, including making Havre one single house district instead of being split up among multiple districts for the first time in decades, and drawing districts that stretch from the edge of Havre to Glasgow and bringing Liberty, Chouteau and Cascade county into a district with Hill County that runs from the Canadian border to outside of Great Falls.

The highest turnout for Hill County since 1998, in differently configured districts, was the presidential election year of 2008 with 72 percent turnout, followed by the presidential election year of 2012 with 71 percent.

The lowest since 1998, prior to this year, was 55 percent turnout in 2002 followed by 56 percent in 2010.

The rate of absentee voting continues to be high. Of the 5,064 ballots cast in Hill County, 2,588 were absentee ballots, out of 2,902 given out. That comes to 51 percent of the ballots returned.

The lower turnout was mirrored in other counties in the area.

Blaine County had a dismal showing 48.5 percent, beaten barely in 2010 with a 47 percent turnout. Total ballots cast came to 1,894.

Blaine County saw 71 percent and 72 percent turnout, respectively, in 2012 and 2008. Its 1998 turnout was 59 percent, higher than the number of people voting in 2010 and this year.

Chouteau County had 60.5 percent turnout Tuesday with 2,176 ballots cast, compared to 66 percent in 1998 and 63 percent in 2010. The highs were 75 percent in 2008 and 74.8 percent in 2012.

This year 73.7 percent of voters turned out in Liberty County with 879 ballots cast. That compares to 72 percent in 1998 and 76 percent in 2010, with a 84 percent turnout in 2008 and 81.6 percent in 2012.