Voter turnout hits record low in Calif.

Monday December 16, 2002

By STEVE LAWRENCE
Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO (AP) Barely half of California's registered voters took part in the Nov. 5 election, a record low turnout that the state's top elections official called ``devastating to democracy.''

``The loudest voice on Election Day was from the record number of voters who chose not to participate,'' Secretary of State Bill Jones said Monday.

Jones said only 50.57 percent of the state's 15.3 million registered voters cast ballots, the lowest percentage on record for a regularly scheduled November election in California.

Lightly populated Amador County had the best turnout percentage, 70.43 percent, and Merced County had the lowest, 43.22 percent. Los Angeles County barely beat that with 44.88 percent.

The previous low was in 1998, when nearly 57.6 percent voted. The record high was in 1964, when the turnout was 88.38 percent.

Three special November elections, in 1973, 1979 and 1993, had lower turnout rates than this year.

When all 21.5 million potential voters those eligible to vote if registered are taken into account this year's turnout was only 36.05 percent, also a record low.

Jones blamed the low turnout on negative campaign ads and said the media need to provide more prime-time coverage of election campaigns. The state also should do more to stress the importance of voting, he added.

``Clearly, as we saw in November, Californians need a strong reminder of how important the fundamental right to vote is,'' he said.

Stan Statham, president of the California Broadcasters Association, said some television and radio stations already provide adequate campaign coverage and some don't.

``I have no trouble saying that what is on TV is what brings in the eyes, and what's on radio is what brings in the ears,'' he said. ``The minute there is something on TV or radio that doesn't have an audience, bam, it's gone.''

He said his organization wanted two gubernatorial debates this year but was only able to get the candidates to agree on one, at noon on Oct. 7, a Monday. The association offered evening time slots, he added.

``This is nothing against people who watch daytime TV but it's very clear that the TV audience that watches ``Days of Our Lives'' and ``The Young and the Restless'' don't spend a lot of time thinking about voting or actually doing it.''

Pollster Mark DiCamillo said there was a ``perfect storm'' of factors driving down voter turnout this year, including lack of a presidential or U.S. Senate race or a red-hot ballot measure campaign to stir voter interest.

The negative campaigning and voter dissatisfaction with both major candidates for governor also helped drive down turnout, he said.

But there is also a long-term downward trend in voter participation, with older Californians dominating the turnout, DiCamillo said.

``It used to be we had small turnout primary elections, but now it's extending to the general, which has implications because there are a lot of other important decisions being made on the same ballot,'' he said. ``If that continues it's becoming an almost unrepresentative electorate.''

Trudy Schafer, program director for the League of Women Voters of California, said there's no panacea for low voter turnout, although approval of Proposition 52, which would have allowed people to register on Election Day and then vote, would have helped.

She said the electronic media should be required to provide more campaign coverage ``so the public is better informed and just doesn't hear 30-second commercials.''

``I think when people have a chance to be informed they are not turned off,'' she said.

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On the Web: www.ss.ca.gov

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)