Following a recent increase in voter registration, Fairfield County also saw a slight jump in participation in the Nov. 3 election.

According to unofficial results from the Fairfield County Board of Elections, approximately 37.4 percent of registered voters in the county took part in the Nov. 3 vote.

Turnout was up from the approximately 31.57 percent of registered voters who participated in November 2007, the last non-presidential election.

Fairfield County Board of Elections director Debbie Henderly said the influx of participants is in step with an increase in the number of eligible voters in the county over the past two years.

"Our registration totals are up, too," Henderly said. "This year, we have 104,708 registered voters in Fairfield County. In November '07, registration countywide was 98,373.

"That's a good thing. We always want everyone to vote."

Approximately 7,500 people in Fairfield County voted by absentee ballot, Henderly said, which was "pretty much normal." About 420 provisional ballots were cast countywide, she said.

Henderly attributed the rise in voter registration to the continued increase in population in Fairfield County.

Locally, participation was slightly lower than across the rest of the county.

A contested race for Pickerington City Council saw 30.4 percent of registered voters turn out, unofficially.

A race for Violet Township trustee drew 34.1 percent of registered voters, unofficially.

According to unofficial results from the board of elections, 30.8 percent of registered voters participated in both the Pickerington Public Library's local levy and an uncontested race for Pickerington Local School District Board of Education.

Aside from several Buckeye Lake races, which with four voters unofficially received 57.1 percent participation, Bloom Carroll drew the largest turnout.

Henderly said it's too early to determine how much the Nov. 3 election cost. She noted costs for materials associated with the ballot continue to rise, but the county could experience some savings because the number of polling precincts was consolidated from 125 in November 2008 to 113 on Nov. 3.

The number of polling locations also as reduced from 37 in November 2008 to 34 in this election, resulting in 48 fewer poll workers.