Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Voter Turnout in L.A. Lower Than in 2008

ballot.jpg
Photo by functoruser via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

Voter turnout in LA County was lower than it was in 2008, according to NBC Los Angeles, a trend that mirrored the rest of the country.

The news site reports that 49.8 percent of registered voters cast ballots yesterday, compared with 76.8 percent four years ago. An additional 32 percent of registered voters got mail-in ballots, but only 46 percent of those were returned by Monday.

In total, 118 million people voted for the president, compared to 131 million in 2008.

The total number of voters is yet to be determined, but experts believe that it most certainly isn't as high as it was in the glory days of yesteryear.

"This is one of those rare elections in which turnout in every state in the nation went down," Curtis Gans, director of American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, told NBC.

One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.

If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today