LAKE COUNTY — Lake County voters lined up at precincts around the county Tuesday to have a say in the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary Election.
“We”re racing to keep the rolls up because so many people are voting,” voting precinct clerk Deanne Dale said Tuesday evening. An unofficial tally written on a dry erase board for the two precincts housed in the Lakeport Fire Department building showed that a combined total of 317 voters had walked through the doors, not counting absentee and provisional ballots.
Precinct judge Lucille Hill estimated that a little more than half of her precinct”s 625 voters cast ballots by mail. Hill”s estimate was consistent with the number given by Lake County Registrar of Voters Diane Fridley Tuesday afternoon.
“We have quite a few absentees,” Fridley said, adding that as of January, the term “absentee” was replaced by the term “vote by mail.” Fridley said that out of Lake County”s 32,744 registered voters, 15,806 vote by mail. Out of those, Fridley said more than half were returned. As of 7:10 p.m. and without having counted a single precinct ballot, 26.4 percent of Lake County”s voters had cast a vote.
“With presidential elections, usually the turnout is higher than any other election. This is unique because it”s just the presidential candidates and seven measures,” Fridley said. She said voter turnout as of Tuesday afternoon was typical of a presidential primary.
“It”s been pretty busy,” Fridley said. She added that her office was fielding a lot of phone calls from people inquiring about registration, where polls were located and ensuring their registration with the correct political party.
The Feb. 5 primary was the first of three elections in Lake County this year, after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the change into law in March 2007.
“Elections cost money,” Fridley said. She added that the county hopes to be reimbursed by the state for the presidential primary. While Fridley did not have a dollar figure for the Tuesday election, she said it is not unusual for a presidential primary to cost close to $100,000.
“Of course, there”s only one card this time, but a lot of staff hours are involved in putting together a presidential election,” Fridley said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
