Vermonters met expectations of high voter turnout last Tuesday, flocking to the polls in numbers not seen since former President Bill Clinton was elected 16 years ago.
 
On Tuesday, the Elections and Campaign Finance division of Vermont's State Department published its report on this year's voter turnout as well as complete election results.
 
Over 66 percent of all eligible voters actually cast their votes, or about 326,822 people. An estimated 30 percent of the voters used absentee ballots.
 
"I am pleased to see that we had a very strong turnout in this election," Vermont's Secretary of State Deb Markowitz said in a statement on Tuesday. "Over 66 percent of the voting age population cast votes."
 
President-elect Barack Obama easily won Vermont's three electoral votes and earned over 67 percent of the vote, while 30 percent of voters cast their ballots in favor of John McCain.
 
Vermont's sole Congressional representative, Democrat Peter Welch, cruised to re-election with over 83 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, Independent Mike Bethel of Bennington, mustered less than 5 percent of the votes.
 
Incumbent Gov. Jim Douglas (R-Middlebury) won re-election with about over 53 percent of the vote-enough to secure his seat without facing a vote from the state legislature. Independent candidate Anthony Pollina came in second in the governor's race, managing to earn about 21.8 percent of the vote, while House Speaker Gaye Symington (D-Jericho) received the support of 21.7 percent of all voters. Only about 200 votes separated Symington and Pollina.
 
Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R-Essex Junction) also managed to hold onto his seat with 55 percent of the vote. Former state representative and Brattleboro attorney Tom Costello (D-Brattleboro) received the support of about 40 percent of voters, but could not topple the incumbent.
 
State Auditor Tom Salmon, who is currently serving with the Navy Reserves in the Middle East, won re-election with over 83 percent of the vote. He is anticipated to return to Vermont by March 2009.
 
Jeb Spaulding, Vermont's treasurer, drew almost 90 percent of voters' support-the highest of any elected statewide official.  Secretary of State Deb Markowitz and state Attorney General held onto their seats by about 71 percent and 73 percent of the vote respectively.