Marin County Registrar Certifies 'Election Like No Other'

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The Marin County Elections Department has certified the Nov. 3 general election, and the Marin County Board of Supervisors is set to accept the canvass of the local results on Dec. 15.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, new legislation that altered the election process and the possibility of public safety power shutoffs during voting, the department worked long hours to plan and administer "one of the most challenging elections anyone can recall," county officials said.

"It was an election like no other," Registrar of Voters Lynda Roberts said. "This one will definitely live in our collective memory for a very long time."

Voter turnout was just over 90 percent — second in documented Marin County history only to the 2008 general election that had a nearly 91 percent turnout.

Roberts also reported these facts from the election:

• 145,763 people (92 percent) voted by mail (VBM)
• 12,340 people (8 percent) voted at polling places
• 633 people (0.4 percent) cast provisional ballots
• Number of people who registered to vote and voted within 14 days of the election: 1,098
• Age group with highest number of those who registered to vote and voted within 14 days of the election: 18-24
• Number of VBM ballots received by Election Day from post offices, drop boxes or polling places: 144,142
• Number of VBM ballots postmarked by Election Day and received after the election: 1,621
• Number of VBM ballots collected from drop boxes: 77,423
• Most popular drop box: The drive-through box at the Civic Center's north archway, with 18,354 ballots
• Precinct with the highest turnout by percentage (excludes all-mail ballot precincts): Marin County Office of Education (#10902), 96.25 percent
• Precinct with highest number of votes cast: Ignacio area of Novato (#50608), 4,823 ballots
• Precinct with highest percentage of VBM votes (excludes all-mail ballot precincts): Terra Linda-Civic Center area (#11217), 89.87 percent

The voter turnout percentages by age group based on the number of registered voters in that group were as follows:

• Age 18-24: 79.8 percent (91.4 percent by VBM ballot)
• Age 25-34: 79.1 percent (91.2 percent VBM)
• Age 35-44: 89.2 percent (91.5 percent VBM)
• Age 45-54: 92.0 percent (90.4 percent VBM)
• Age 55-64: 93.2 percent (90.9 percent VBM)
• Age 65-74: 94.6 percent (93.6 percent VBM)
• Age 75 and older: 92.3 percent (95.5 percent VBM)