Bucking the trend of other elections in recent years, most of the voters in this month’s special election were early voters.

A review of ballot returns shows that a majority of voters returned their ballots in the first week after ballots were mailed out.

Roughly 39 percent of ballots received by Island County election workers came in the four-day span of Jan. 25-Jan. 28.

The review of ballot returns also shows that more than half of the ballots cast were sent back to be counted by Feb. 1.

Still, many voters in Island County waited until Election Day to cast ballots.

Approximately 28.8 percent of the ballots returned for the Feb. 8 special election were returned in the four-day span of Feb. 8-Feb. 11, according to county election records.

The Feb. 8 election included two school levies for the South Whidbey School District, and a levy to fund operations of the South Whidbey Parks & Rec District.

The Coupeville School District also presented two levies to voters, as well as a measure setting out districts for school board members.

Voters approved all the measures on both Coupeville and South Whidbey ballots. A total of 9,946 ballots had been counted through Feb. 17 in the 31 precincts that participated, and turnout is estimated at 54.7 percent.