Registered Democrats and Republicans are nearly evenly represented among Fresno County voters who have returned ballots ahead of Tuesday’s election, while the partisan makeup of early voters varies sharply across Fresno City Council districts.

As of Thursday, 89,122 of 529,291 ballots mailed to Fresno County voters had been returned, for an overall return rate of about 17%, according to politicaldata.com 

Registered Democrats accounted for 36,876 returned ballots, or 41% of ballots received, while registered Republicans accounted for 35,739, or 40%. No-party-preference and other voters accounted for 16,507 returned ballots, or 19%.

Republicans, however, had returned a slightly greater share of the ballots mailed to voters in their party. About 21% of ballots mailed to registered Republicans had been returned, compared with 19% among registered Democrats and 10% among no-party-preference and other voters.

The figures describe voters by registration and do not indicate which candidates or measures they supported.

City of Fresno Returns at 16%

Within the city of Fresno, 43,748 of 275,618 ballots had been returned, for a 16% return rate.

Registered Democrats accounted for 20,160 returned ballots, or 46% of the total. Republicans accounted for 15,065, or 34%, while no-party-preference and other voters accounted for 8,523, or 19%.

The return rate among registered Republicans was 20%, compared with 18% among Democrats, and 10% among no-party-preference and other voters.

Turnout varied considerably among the city’s seven council districts.

Districts 6 and 2 Lead in Ballot Returns

District 6 had the city’s highest return rate, with 10,977 of 50,650 ballots returned, or 22%.

Registered Republicans made up 47% of returned ballots in the district, with 5,194 ballots returned. Democrats accounted for 3,861, or 35%, while no-party-preference and other voters accounted for 1,922, or 18%.

District 2 followed with a 21% return rate. Of 46,869 ballots mailed, 9,923 had been returned.

Republicans accounted for 4,129 returned ballots, or 42%, while Democrats accounted for 3,993, or 40%. No-party-preference and other voters accounted for 1,801, or 18%.

District 3 had the city’s lowest return rate at 11%, with 3,396 of 30,395 ballots returned. Democrats made up 61% of returned ballots there, compared with 18% for Republicans and 21% for no-party-preference and other voters.

District 1 had a 14% return rate, with 5,830 ballots returned. Democrats accounted for 54% of returned ballots, Republicans 25%, and no-party-preference and other voters 21%.

District 4 also had a 14% return rate, with 4,895 ballots returned. Democrats represented 48% of returned ballots, Republicans 32%, and no-party-preference and other voters 21%.

In District 5, 4,637 ballots had been returned, or 13% of those mailed. Democrats accounted for 55% of returned ballots, Republicans 23%, and no-party-preference and other voters 22%.

District 7 had a 12% return rate, with 4,090 ballots returned. Democrats accounted for 54% of returned ballots, Republicans 26%, and no-party-preference and other voters 21%.

California Ballot Returns Reach 19%

Statewide, 4.5 million of about 23.2 million mailed ballots had been returned as of Thursday, for a return rate of about 19%.

Registered Democrats accounted for about 2.23 million returned ballots, or 51% of the statewide total. Republicans accounted for about 1.27 million, or 28%, while no-party-preference and other voters accounted for about 947,000, or 21%.

The return rate was 22% among registered Republicans, 21% among registered Democrats, and 13% among no-party-preference and other voters.

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