VOTER TURNOUTS FOR MASON COUNTY
% of registered voters casting ballots

General 2006:

70.34

Primary 2006:

49.88

General 2005:

62.79

Primary 2005:

32.05

General 2004:

83.11

Primary 2004:

78.06

General 2003:

43.32

Primary 2003:

56.92

General 2002:

63.35

Primary 2002:

40.76

General 2001:

52.76

Primary 2001:

50.45

General 2000:

79.66

Primary 2000:

51.82

General 1999:

66.05

Primary 1999:

40.08

General 1998:

68.11

Primary 1998:

45.01

It is unusual for the turnout in a primary election to be higher than in the general election following as in 2003. That year 15,303 voted in the primary and 11,804 in the general. The primary was an all-mail election in which ballots were sent to all registered voters, and the ballot contained the second running of the hospital bond issue.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
by month in Mason County

1982

2004

2005

2006

Jan.

17.2

9.1

7.3

6.3

Feb.

15.7

8.7

7.6

6.6

March

18.1

8.7

6.9

5.9

April

15.5

7.5

6.7

6.0

May

14.3

7.0

6.0

5.7

June

13.6

7.8

6.4

6.1

July

13.2

7.1

5.9

6.0

Aug.

11.9

7.1

6.0

6.1

Sept.

12.3

6.4

5.3

5.4

Oct.

15.1

6.1

5.1

4.9

Nov.

13.9

6.6

5.4

5.8

Dec.

16.1

6.9

5.3

6.1

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
for Mason County and state

County

State

1990:

5.7

5.1

1991:

7.7

6.3

1992:

8.2

7.2

1993:

9.0

7.1

1994:

8.7

6.5

1995:

7.7

6.3

1996:

7.3

5.9

1997:

6.3

4.9

1998:

5.8

4.8

1999:

5.9

4.8

2000:

6.4

5.0

2001:

7.7

6.2

2002:

8.3

7.3

2003:

8.6

7.4

2004:

7.4

6.2

2005:

6.1

5.5

2006:

5.9

5.0

NUMBER VOTING
IN ELECTIONS

Voting

Eligible

General 2006:

21,504

30,571

Primary 2006:

14,969

30,010

General 2005:

19,442

30,960

Primary 2005:

1,451

4,527

This has been separated from the chart of total number voting and absentee voting because in 2005 the county instituted all-mail voting, meaning there is no longer a distinction between total votes and absentee votes.

The City of Shelton had the only primary race in the county in 2005, so the numbers reflect only city voters and their 68 percent apathy.

TAX COLLECTIONS
for all jurisdictions
by county treasurer

1980:

$6,674,567

1981:

$7,976,685

1982:

$9,061,026

1983:

$10,423,109

1984:

$11,191,799

1985:

$12,565,337

1986:

$13,739,211

1987:

$14,492,014

1988:

$15,224,175

1989:

* $16,536,023

1990:

$16,672,993

1991:

$19,713,998

1992:

$22,397,614

1993:

$25,126,709

1994:

$26,033,188

1995:

$28,350,393

1996:

$31,137,556

1997:

$33,051,400

1998:

$36,764,107

1999:

$38,508,441

2000:

$40,629,122

2001:

$41,999,254

2002:

$45,243,862

2003:

$47,415,766

2004:

$49,349,880

2005:

$52,164,798

2006:

$53,825,669

*Through November 1989

AVG. NUMBER IN LABOR FORCE AND EMPLOYED
in Mason County

Labor force

Employed

1990:

15,970

15,060

1991:

15,780

14,550

1992:

15,860

14,560

1993:

16,630

15,140

1994:

17,220

15,720

1995:

18,410

17,000

1996:

19,250

17,840

1997:

20,250

18,980

1998:

20,560

19,370

1999:

20,180

18,980

2000:

20,940

19,610

2001:

20,710

19,120

2002:

21,900

20,090

2003:

22,680

20,730

2004:

23,790

22,060

2005:

24,770

23,250

2006:

24,540

23,090

TOTAL NUMBER VOTING IN MASON COUNTY AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Total

Absentee

General 2004:

25,836

15,243

Primary 2004:

22,460

8,942

General 2003:

11,804

7,579

Primary 2003:

15,303

15,303

General 2002:

17,253

10,406

Primary 2002:

11,052

7,865

General 2001:

14,612

9,878

Primary 2001:

13,929

13,929

General 2000:

22,923

12,551

Primary 2000:

14,242

8,801

General 1999:

17,991

8,835

Primary 1999:

7,049

7,049

General 1998:

18,921

8,468

Primary 1998:

12,362

6,215

The 1999, 2001 and 2003 primaries were all-mail elections.

SAINTS’ PANTRY FOOD BANK IN SHELTON
Growth since inception

Served

Expenses

1983

13,761

$29,692

2002

43,584

$78,977

2003

43,409

$63,393

2004

39,771

$57,968

2005

41,020

$62,690

2006

39,194

$56,273

Expenses don’t count hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of donated food. Last year (its 25th in operation) the food bank gave away 362,740 pounds of food. At $2 per pound by rule of thumb, it was worth $725,480.