5th Compact
Voter Turnout
Truckee Meadows Tomorrow (TMT) announced its fifth quality of life compact July 2004 to address voter turnout (one of the economic vitality community indicators) between the New Voters Project, Nevada Museum of Art, Washoe County Registrar of Voters, Washoe County Library, and TMT.
Activities addressed issues around voter participation—increasing the number of registered voters, and voter turnout for the primary and general elections. Compact partners reviewed national models and best practices in determining how to increase the number of voters, voter turnout, provide information and schedules in both English and Spanish, and how to work with local media outlets to publicize availability of early voting. Washoe County received a national public participation Savvy Award for their 2004 Election Campaign as a part of the compact. Results at 5 libraries, serving as early voting locations, were so successful, that the compact has been expanded to future elections.
- Goals and Results
5-8% increase in registered voters compared to the 2000 general election
- - Voter registration training to New Voters project personnel
- - Bi-lingual announcements of registration and voting hours at all libraries and the museum
- - Over 800 registered at various library locations and the museum
500+ primary election voter turnout at various library locations and the museum
- - More than 2,000 citizens voted early in the 9/04 primary
- - 3,798 voted at 3-library branches serving as polling places
2,000+ general election turnout at polling stations at various library locations and the museum
- - Increase in early voting 11/04 to over 16,000 compared to 13,000 in the 2000
- - 8,965 citizens took advantage of early voting at just 1 of 5 library polling places
- - 1,636 people voted at the museum
Improved percentage of overall voter participation (2000 general election turnout = 56.7%)
- - 33,025 early voters 11/04 equated to a 155% increase over the previous record set in the 2000 presidential election
Results at five libraries, serving as early voting locations, were so successful during the 2004 elections that the compact expanded for the 2006 election. A total of 17,161 citizens took advantage of early voting at Washoe County Library locations during the 2006 general election. This was the highest total for any early voting location in Washoe County (41% of the 41,906 early turnout). Early voting was offered at nine libraries for both the primary and general elections. In addition, Meet the Candidates events were held at three libraries: Sparks, South Valleys, and Northwest Reno.
In stewardship following the highly successful compact, Washoe County implemented a ‘youth vote’ initiative and a 2008 public information campaign to attract underrepresented eligible voters. Additionally, in direct response to voter complaints, Washoe County redesigned its sample ballots including establishing a dual review process for Spanish- and English-language versions to remove barriers to voting.
For more information on the Voter Turnout Compact, contact:
Bonnie Saviers, Washoe County Library System,