Ind. 2012 voter turnout falls 4 percent

Fewer Hoosiers voted in this year’s general election than in 2008. About 58 percent of the 4.5 million registered voters in Indiana hit the polls this election season, a slip from 62 percent in 2008.

Recent data from the Indiana Secretary of State’s office showed 22 percent of total ballots cast statewide were absentee ballots, up from 10 percent in 2004 but down from 24 percent in 2008.

Monroe County had a turnout rate of about 56 percent, with 57,950 of the total 104,064 registered voters casting ballots. Absentee ballots in the county totaled 21,732, or about 38 percent. The county had a 70 percent turnout rate in 2008 and 49 percent rate in 2004.

The highest voter turnout rate was in northeastern Indiana’s Wells County at 72 percent of the 18,209 registered voters. In southern Indiana, Scott County drew the fewest voter turnout at 46 percent of 19,313 voters.

— Matthew Glowicki