Butler County on Tuesday possibly set a dubious record — voter futility.

Turnout for the off-year primary was less than 16 percent, according to unofficial county election bureau tabulations.

For Republicans in the GOP-dominated county, turnout barely hit 18 percent. However, the turnout among Democrats was a blip under 12.5 percent.

“Pretty disappointing,” admitted Shari Brewer, county elections bureau director.

And at least for this election, weather was no excuse. The sun was out much of the day.

Asked to explain the unexplainable, Brewer struggled to make sense of the poor showing at the polls.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I think a lot of offices were uncontested, especially for the county (offices).”

Lackluster candidates was another possibility. But generally, as is the recent history with elections, primarily primaries, it’s apathy.

“It’s disappointing,” Brewer repeated.

While the county usually sees one in four eligible voters cast ballots for a primary, Tuesday may be one for the record books.

Asked if the showing was an all-time low, Brewer couldn’t say for sure.

“I don’t know,” she said, “but it’s pretty low.”

In the 2005 primary, turnout was 26 percent. It was 28 percent in 2007 and almost 22 percent in 2009.

The turnout in the 2011 primary was 24 percent.

Most of Tuesday’s balloting was by Republicans and Democrats to choose nominees for the Nov. 5 general election.

In three northern municipalities, Cherry, Mercer and Parker townships, all voters had the opportunity to vote on referendums to permit small games of chance for nonprofit groups.

But those issues did little to bring out more voters there, results showed.

The worst showing among the county’s 89 precincts was Cranberry West 1, where turnout was 7.15 percent. Barely 4 percent of eligible Democrats in that precinct cast ballots.

In Adams 1 and 2 precincts, turnout was 7.2 and 7.6 percent, respectively.

In Slippery Rock Township, the turnout was 7.3 percent.

The best showing was Washington Township, where 35 percent of voters, and 42 percent of Republicans, cast ballots.

Tiny Cherry Valley, with 39 eligible primary voters, had a turnout of 33 percent as did Karns City and Saxonburg.

Election officials reported no major glitches. But there were a couple of minor problems.

While working the polls, Roma Park, judge of elections in Middlesex Township, took an accidental fall, breaking both arms and her nose, Brewer said.

“We had to move some poll workers around because of that,” she said,

Parks was to undergo surgery for her injuries.