Fewer Oregonians voted in this presidential election compared to the last one.

About 75% of registered Oregon voters returned their ballots during this year’s general election. In all, 2,308,256 Oregonians returned their ballots this year, which was 105,634 fewer voters than 2020, or a 5% decline, according to data recently released by the Oregon Secretary of State.

The state’s overall turnout rate remains higher than the national average of about 64%, but the decline this year is similar to other states, including those on the West Coast.

In California, 71% of the state’s registered voters cast their ballots, while in Washington it was 79%. Both totals were lower than 2020, when there was an especially high turnout, though Washington’s total this year was higher than in 2016.

Oregon’s turnout rate was lower than any other presidential election since at least 2004, and the first time since then that turnout has dropped below 80%. But it’s difficult to compare Oregon’s results this election year to other presidential elections.

That’s because of the state’s motor voter law. The system, which went into effect in January 2016, automatically registers people to vote when they acquire a state driver’s license or identification card. Since 2012, the last election before the new system, the percentage of eligible Oregonians registered to vote has increased from 75% to 94%.

“It’s a tricky apples to oranges sort of deal,” said pollster John Horvick, the senior vice president of nonpartisan DHM Research. He noted that, while lower than 2020, the turnout rate among eligible voters is nearing record highs.

Some of Oregon’s largest counties saw turnout decline compared to 2020. Multnomah, Washington and Marion counties each reported an 8% drop, while Clackamas’ turnout dropped 6%. Lane and Jackson counties each reported 5% declines. And in each of those counties, Democrats and Republicans each saw their number of registered voters decline, while non-affiliated voters increased.

Other states and urban areas across the country saw a shift to the political right, with Republicans taking control of Congress and the White House. But Oregon was different, and both parties reported similar turnout rates. Turnout among Democrats dropped from about 91% in 2020 to 87% this year, and for Republicans, 91% to 88%.

“Republicans just didn’t make any headway in this election,” said Horvick, who added: “Trump did a little bit better in Oregon than he did four years ago. But you didn’t see that shift in Oregon that you did nationally.”

Among non-affiliated voters — the state’s largest group, with more than 1.1 million registered voters — there was a steeper drop, from about 65% in 2020 to 57% this year. This group has seen its turnout decrease overall since 2004, similar to the state’s overall trend. However, the group’s size has grown since the implementation of the state’s motor voter system, which automatically registers voters as nonaffiliated.

Horvick, who researches voting patterns and posts about trends on social media, said this year’s results also show that Oregon’s electorate is growing older. For voters between the ages of 18 and 34, he noted, there were about 75,000 fewer ballots cast this year compared to 2020. For voters over the age of 65, there were about 48,000 more ballots cast this year.

Horvick said this trend could impact who politicians appeal to during elections and their policies. He noted that young Oregonians might have different opinions than elderly voters on issues like housing, policing and climate change.

“Folks who are older have a different set of priorities than those who are younger,” said Horvick.

About 60% of registered voters ages 18 to 34 voted this year, compared to 85% of voters over the age of 65.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2024/12/26/oregon-voter-turnout-dropped-75-percent-2024-election/