Snohomish County voters are returning their ballots for the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election more slowly than expected.

The county return rate through Friday was 12.65 percent, far less than the 15 percent that county elections officials had expected to arrive at the county auditor’s office by now.

County officials had predicted that the final turnout would be 45 percent and that a third of the final number of ballots returned would be in by four days before Election Day.

County Elections Manager Garth Fell said Friday that the prediction was based on turnout in recent odd-numbered-year elections and by doubling the turnout rate in the Aug. 4 primary.

Voters in Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway and the rest of the Edmonds School District had returned their ballots through Friday at a rate of 12.96 percent. City ballot-return rates were 16.59 percent in Edmonds, 12.71 percent in Lynnwood, 11.37 percent in Mountlake Terrace, and 17.71 percent in Woodway. Brier, which is partially in the Edmonds School District and partially in the Northshore School District, had a return rate of 14.25 percent.

Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.