Voter turnout in local election up slightly from 2011 in Bonners

In what seems to be a national trend, voter turnout for last week’s local elections skewed low, with 32 percent of registered voters in Bonners Ferry showing up at the polls to vote for the offices of mayor and city council. Moyie Springs was even lower, with a 22 percent showing.

That said, only 30 percent voted for the same offices in 2011 in Bonners Ferry, an encouraging sign more residents are paying attention to local elections. Boundary County Auditor Glenda Poston, whose office oversees the elections, said the percentage will fluctuate depending on whether the elections are strictly local, or have statewide or national ramifications. For example, the election held locally in 2013 drew just 19 percent of registered voters, while the 2012 presidential election found 73 percent of local voters at the polls. During the 2014 election for governor and state representatives, 59 percent voted.

“We just don’t have the population,” Poston said. “The numbers seem low, and yeah, they are. But with only 1,165 registered voters within the city limits, it’s the average for an election held during a year without a national component.”

Asked how voters could be encouraged to show in greater numbers, Poston said residents just need to decide to become more involved in local government. And though she calls it only an opinion, she said another factor may have contributed to the increase in voter numbers this year.

“Over the years, I’m noticing, and this is my personal perception of it, is an increase in signage,” she said. “I’m noticing a lot more signage for city elections. And I think the candidate forums continue to be well-attended.”

Social media is also being utilized as a way for candidates to get their names out to the public, and Poston said that’s a good thing.

“Social media has an impact on everybody,” Poston explained. “It’s just another way to encourage interest in the electoral process.”

Something new for upcoming elections will be the use of vote tabulators. Funded by a grant from the state, the tabulators should be available for the next round of elections in March.

“People get busy with their lives, and election days can be a terribly long day for poll workers,” Poston said. “We’ve sat in this offic until a;most 4 a.m. in the past, waiting for the final tallies, and that’s on a day where everyone started work at 7 a.m. the previous morning. The poll workers do receive a wage, but they are essentially volunteers. The tabulators will help with that. It will be a little different. Voters will cast their ballots, just like they have in the past, but this will eliminate having to count the ballots by hand, and results will be quicker.”