Of the county’s 332,032 registered voters, 71,645 opted to vote early in person, with an additional 37,631 mail-in ballots requested. So far, 23,376 of those mail ballots have been returned, contributing to a total voter turnout of 28.62% as of October 29, 2024.
Olsen noted that this year's early voter turnout could be 10-15% lower than the county’s record-setting early voting participation of 110,000 in 2020, a year marked by the pandemic’s impact on voting behaviors. In that election, a surge in mail-in voting saw 60,000 residents cast ballots by mail. By contrast, this year’s mail ballot requests are about half of 2020's level, reflecting shifts in voting patterns post-pandemic.