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Deputy County Clerk Theresa Thompson describes the mechanized operation underway. "They are running them through the equipment that will actually capture the bar code on the back of the ballot, which will indicate the ballot was received in time. It's also capturing the signature on the vote by mail ballot that will then be verified prior to counting those ballots that came in on election night."
Once they are tabulated, Fresno County Clerk Brandi Orth says the numbers should boost Fresno County's dismal voter turnout numbers a little. "We have to factor in all of those numbers when we do our final calculations so the turnout will be higher than it is right now, but unfortunately it wasn't a superior turnout."
Statewide turnout is pegged at just 24 percent. Fresno County's rate is so far just 17 percent. Kings County and Madera County each posted 32 percent turnout. Merced 23 percent. Nearly half of Mariposa County's ten thousand registered voters cast ballots for a 47 percent turnout. Tulare County comes in with 20 percent.
The low turnout was one reason Fresno County voters didn't have many problems at the polls. Unlike the 2010 election in which budget cuts meant fewer polling places. Since then Fresno County came up with a few hundred thousand more dollars. The county spent $2.1 million on this vote. Orth thinks despite the low turnout it's money well spent. "I want to be responsive to the electorate and they want polling places nearby they can go to and I think that's important."
Fresno County's final voter turnout tally is expected to be around 25 percent. Still much lower than the more than 30 percent turnout during the past two primaries.