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Barre again tops among towns in voter turnout

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 November 2023 at 2:22 pm

BARRE – The Town of Barre has the highest voter turnout in Orleans County for the election with 45.3 percent or 599 out of the 1,323 registered voters.

That compares to a countywide percentage of 20.8 percent with 5,282 casting ballots out of 25,455 registered.

Barre has led the voter participation in at least the last four local elections. The town continues to have contested races for the town supervisor and Town Board seats. (Sean Pogue, the incumbent, currently has a 1-vote lead over Scott Burnside for town supervisor, 293-292.)

In 2021, the turnout was 45.6 percent in Barre, and it was 51.2 percent in 2019 and 48.4 percent in 2017.

Back in 2015, Yates topped in turnout among local elections at 50.2 percent. That was the year when candidates, including Jim Simon for town supervisor, ran a vigorous campaign on an anti-wind turbine agenda. Simon won on write-in ballots. Barre had the second highest turnout in November 2015 at 46.4 percent.

In the current election, the turnout countywide was down significantly from four years ago when it was 34.8 percent, with 8,048 voters going to the polls out of 23,183 registered voters. That year there was a hotly contested race for sheriff. This year none of the countywide positions had opposition.

Here are the percentages of turnout among the 10 towns in Orleans County:

  • Albion – 11.8% (436 out of 3,684)
  • Barre – 45.3% (599 out of 1,323)
  • Carlton – 17.7% (370 out of 2,087)
  • Clarendon – 12.7% (318 out of 2,509)
  • Gaines – 14.5% (296 out of 2,038)
  • Kendall – 30.7% (575 out of 1,871)
  • Murray – 23.0% (702 out of 3,054)
  • Ridgeway – 10.0% (410 out of 4,102)
  • Shelby – 34.4% (1,081 out of 3,138)
  • Yates – 26.0% (428 out of 1,649)
  • Orleans County – 20.8% (5,282 out of 25,455)

Five of the 10 towns – Albion, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines and Ridgeway – did not have any contested races and their turnout was well under 20 percent.

Shelby had the second-highest turnout with voters drawn to the polls with races for town clerk, highway superintendent and the Town Board.

The turnout tends to be significantly higher during presidential election years (next in 2024) or during a gubernatorial year (next in 2026).