By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

Voter turnout during presidential years tend to outpace years without a presidential race and, once again, that was the case in Kansas and Ellis County.

According to the results from the Ellis County clerk’s office, of the 18,314 registered voters in Ellis County, 11,934 people cast their vote in Tuesday’s general election — a voter turnout of 65.16 percent.

That is slightly lower than the 65.4-percent turnout in 2012, the last presidential election. According records kept by the Kansas Secretary of State’s office, turnout in Ellis County in 2008 was 68.4 percent. In 2012 and in 2004, 78.9 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in Ellis County.

But in 2012, fewer than 10,000 people cast their ballot in the non-presidential election year for 55 percent voter turnout. In 2010, voter turnout in Ellis County was 51 percent.

Ellis County Election Official Donna Maskus, also county clerk, said turnout for advanced voting was 20 percent.

The Kansas Secretary of State’s office said there were 1,812,670 registered voted in Kansas and turnout has been estimated at more than 60.3 percent. That does not include write-in and provisional ballots.

In 2014, voter turnout was 50.8 percent. In the last presidential election – 2012 — voter turnout was 66.8 percent statewide.