Results tagged “voter”

With one hour to go, 77.65%, or 3,338,950 people, of registered voters in LA County had voted as of 7:00 p.m., according to estimates by the Registrar-Recorder's office. By comparison, in 2004, 73.45% had voted by 7:00 p.m. and 62.91% in 2000.

We just spoke to the LA County Recorder-Register's Office who said that 53.4% of voters, or 2,296,200 people, have voted so far--as of 3:00 p.m.--in this election. Despite earlier reports saying these numbers do not include early voting, these numbers actually do include the "vote-by-mail add-on factor," as they call it. Over one million vote-by-mail requests were made for this election, but as of yesterday over 647,000 ballots had been turned in. People may vote by "mail" today by turning their ballot in to any polling place before 8:00 p.m. when polls close.

As news comes out that Election Day could see some of the highest voter participation ever, backers and opponents of propositions are worried that Democrat voters in California may opt out of voting later in the day--such as after 5:00 p.m.-- if it looks like Barack Obama has won the state. If that happens, potential votes against Proposition 8, which seeks to ban gay marriage, and for Proposition 1a, which will help fund high speed rail, will not be made. To that, voters may see a push to vote early in the day. Or maybe not. It's an interesting theory at the very least and if true, could be devastating to the state.

Mark Paul, former deputy treasurer of California, among other things, has a good point about all the money-spending initiatives on this November's ballot. "In a little-noticed report, Treasurer Bill Lockyer projected last year that, at current tax levels, California will not be able to pay for its existing programs and its debt service at any time in the next two decades if voters keep approving bonds at the same rate as they have over the last 20 years." There are six props (1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10) that would effect the budget at the tune of "$2.7 billion a year in bond debt service and direct state spending," all without any way to pay for them. If a 13th one is added, which would be a water bond, that number jumps to beyond $3 billion.

On June 3rd, California went to the polls, voting on representatives and various bits of legislation, most notably Props 98 and 99. It was a real race for those of those measures, both had real potential for real change, whether it was for the better or worse. But voters also voted for Congressmen such Howard Berman and Henry Waxman. The choices were simple (because choice was not a choice other than not voting) and there was hardly a mention of their campaigns in the news. Welcome to gerrymandering, the practice of drawing districts in favor of one voter base, and California has ranked the 9th worst state in the nation, according to one non-profit's report [pdf]. The LA Times breaks it down:

Both within Los Angeles County and statewide, Proposition 98, which would taken away rent control in addition to barring state agencies from using eminent domain except for public uses failed. Unlike Prop 98, Proposition 99 did not carry a rent control provision but had "similar but more narrowly focused" eminent domain language, including exempting public works projects, the LA Times reported.

Well, depending on where you live, some of us vote. If you got that Voter Info packet in the mail, it is important that you are one of the numbers talked about in tomorrow's news as one of the few who voted. Here are today's races: - Assembly District 39 (East and Northeast Valley, here's a map) - LAUSD District 3 (lots of Valley) - LAUSD District 7 (parts of South LA to the Harbor)...