Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
California young people flock to register to vote, likely benefiting Democrats
A large number of young people in California have signed up to vote in this year's election, Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in releasing the latest registration numbers.
(
Will Culpepper/Flickr Creative Commons
)
Listen
0:50
California young people flock to register to vote, likely benefiting Democrats
New numbers released from the secretary of state’s office show a surge in online voter registration among young people ahead of California’s June 7 primary.
In the first three months of the year, more than 200,000 young people registered online to vote in California. Seventeen to 25-year-olds made up over a third of all online registrations in the latest count.
Mark Baldassare, president and survey director for the nonpartisan think tank Public Policy Institute of California, said to see such big numbers so early in the year is surprising, and something campaigns and others should be watching as they battle for their parties' presidential nominations.
"At this point in time, I think everybody’s taking California very seriously — as they should, because it may come down to California," he said.
As for who may benefit from the surge in registrations among young voters, Baldassare said it’ll likely be Democrats Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Sanders in particular has drawn large groups of young supporters.
Republicans probably won't benefit as much because many young people are registered as having no-party preference, and the Republican presidential primary is closed to those voters.
A PPIC survey released on March 23 shows Hillary Clinton drawing support from 48 percent of likely Democratic primary voters and Sanders from 41 percent.
Sponsored message
Donald Trump led among Republicans with 38 percent of likely GOP voters to Ted Cruz' 27 percent and John Kasich's 14 percent, with former candidate Marco Rubio factored out.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
