BY MICHAEL D. CLARK
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON - When there's an election in Warren County, most registered voters head to the polls.
An Enquirer review of voter turnout for the Nov. 3 election shows Warren topped all other Tristate counties: An estimated 53 percent of 86,552 registered Warren County voters cast ballots.
That's not surprising. The county - the second-fastest growing in Ohio - - consistently has led most other Southwest Ohio counties in voter turnout in recent years.
Warren County native Bev Moore, director of the Warren County Board of Elections and a 25-year veteran of county government, said voter pride is why the county racks up high turnouts.
"I believe people in Warren County truly care. We're growing very rapidly, but we still are rural enough that we still have that small-town pride," she said.
The 1990 Census showed the county had 113,927 residents. State demographic experts said that in 1997, the total moved to 140,080. That means Warren has grown by 23 percent from 1990-1997.
"We've also had a lot of local issues - especially school issues - and when people move into the area, a lot of them are younger couples with small children," Ms. Moore said.
Warren County Administrator Bob Price said the turnout also can be attributed to the relatively high number of retirement communities. According to a recent report from the Warren County Regional Planning Commission, the county has been the site of large retirement communities since the mid-1960s. The 256-acre Otterbein Homes retirement community has about 800 residents, and there are similar, campus-style retirement centers in Mason.
Mr. Price said older residents vote consistently. Also, the county has made absentee balloting as easy as possible for older residents.
The large influx of new residents also has bolstered the concern and voting on local issues, he said.
"They come here because they like the schools and the communities . . . and they want to get involved in things. That's the way it is countywide," Mr. Price said. "Even though we are growing, it's still kind of a small-town atmosphere."
