November 3, 2020 4:00 a.m.

Over 71 percent of registered voters in Douglas County have cast a ballot in the November General Election with the deadline to turn ballots in looming.

County Clerk Daniel Loomis told News Radio 1240 KQEN that 59,733 ballots have been received as of Monday night. Loomis said that is nearly 10 percent ahead of the participation rate for the same point in the 2016 general election and almost 4 percent ahead of the rate for the same point in the 2012 general election.

Loomis said in 2016, just over 77 percent of registered voters turned in a ballot. That percentage was just over 81 percent in 2012. The highest participation rate in recent years was just over 82 percent, which happened in 2004.

Ballots are due by 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night. Post marks do not count. Ballots can be taken to any of the 13 drop box sites around the county. A list of those sites is linked with this story at www.541radio.com: https://www.co.douglas.or.us/clerk/drop_site_locations.asp. Ballots can also be taken inside the courthouse.

Preliminary unofficial local results will be available shortly after 8:00 p.m. and can be viewed at: https://results.oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?type=CTYALL&cty=07&map=CTY

Loomis said that collected ballots that come from outlying election drop sites will be processed as they are received. As they are processed, there may be additional updates.