Election Day is only four weeks away. But for many cities across the state, it means another round of low turnout voting.
A new study from the University of Wisconisin shows the low turnout epidemic is nationwide. It is made worse in many California cities by the fact that elections are often held in off-years, when city offices are the only measures on the ballot.
The dismal turnout in last year’s Los Angeles Mayoral runoff prompted the formation of a new task force to study ways to boost election turnout in California’s largest city. Just 19% of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot in the race between Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti.
The panel has recommended consolidating city elections with regularly scheduled elections in even numbered years.
In an article on the new study, Governing Magazine wrote, “In New York, Bill de Blasio won a landslide election that similarly saw the lowest voter turnout since at least the 1950s. More recently, just over a quarter of voters showed up for the District of Columbia’s hotly-contested mayoral primary – the lowest turnout in more than 30 years.
“Voter turnout for local elections, typically held in off-cycle years, has historically lagged behind state and federal races set to take place in November, but recent results suggest it’s slowly becoming even worse.
“If local turnout doesn’t improve, the implications could extend much further than the ballot box. Low-turnout elections typically aren’t representative of the electorate as a whole, dominated by whiter, more-affluent and older voters. Recent research published by a UC San Diego professor found such elections contribute to poorer outcomes for minorities, including uneven prioritization of public spending.”