LAKE COUNTY >> Based on previous general elections, fingers are crossed for a 65 percent turnout of Lake County”s registered voters at the polls on Nov. 4, despite a trend of low turnouts across the state.
The goal is to match or exceed the turnout of the most recent Lake County general election of its kind, held Nov. 2, 2010, where 66 percent of registered voters turned out.
Five local measures will be appearing on the ballot, three of which are countywide; Measures O and P would change the county”s marijuana regulations, while Measure L is a rendition of Measure S that just missed the two-thirds requirements in June and proposes a half-cent sales tax to “Save the Lake.”
Considering the high impact of the three measures, Registrar of Voters Diana Fridley is expecting they will raise interest from the community on voting day.
“I would expect our turnout will be at least 65 percent of registered voters, but I”m hoping it will be greater than that,” Fridley said.
Additionally, Measure R for the city of Clearlake is seeking a special half-percent retail transactions and use tax for citywide cleanup and improvement. Two-thirds of votes cast must approve the tax for it to be implemented. The tax would add to the current sales tax and use tax rate in the city of 7.75 percent for a total of 8.25 percent. No arguments against the measure have been submitted for the voter information pamphlet that will be mailed out to registered voters.
Finally, a majority of votes for Measure T would allow the Lakeport Unified School District to issue and sell bonds of up to $17 million to provide financing for school facilities, including funding improved technology access and renovating and constructing school facilities. Arguments against the measure were also not filed with the county.
Fridley is expecting to receive an increase of absentee ballots this year. In the June 3 statewide direct primary election, 33 percent of votes cast were through absentee ballots and more residents are expected to be traveling in November than in June, Fridley said.
Vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed out Oct. 6.
Voters will also have the opportunity to vote on six statewide ballot measures and nine state office positions, including offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, controller, treasurer, attorney general, insurance commissioner, superintendent of public instruction and the District 1 Board of Equalization member.
Voters are required to register by Oct. 20. All social service offices and post offices have registration forms available and residents can be mailed a form by calling the Registrar of Voters office at 263-2372 or 888-235-6730. Registration can also be completed online with a California ID at www.registertovote.ca.gov.
Statewide lows, county averages
Although California led the nation with some of the highest voter turnouts in the mid-20th Century, the last decade has seen a significant decline in turnouts. Last June, the state set a record low; during the primaries only 18 percent of the registered voters in the state cast ballots.
Compared to the 42 percent turnout of 1990 and the 28 percent turnout in 2008, the rates of residents participating in elections appears to be steadily dropping.
Lake County received its average amount of ballots though and beat the statewide rates in its June 3rd election with a 46 percent turnout of registered voters. With a rough county average of 46,000 total eligible voters, June elections see about 14,000 voters and November elections expect nearly 22,000 voters each year.
The state has worked to increase voter turnout with various reforms throughout the past several years. Notably, a system of online voter registration was put in place in 2012. The state is also seeking to implement a same-day registration process and allow for more relaxed deadlines for submitting vote-by-mail ballots.
In 2012, the state enacted the law to allow for same-day registration, but a statewide voter registration database is required to implement it; Secretary of State Debra Bowen stated on Twitter that she is expecting the law won”t go into effect until 2016 or later.
In a report by the Public Policy Institute of California, the organization found that “none of these reforms is likely to produce large gains in turnout.”
Although the online registration system was immediately popular and was a cost saving system, “it probably did not bring many new voters into the electorate or significantly change the demographic makeup of new registrants.”
The study also criticizes the same-day registration system as it “could result in significant costs and complications for county registrars.”
Additionally, relaxed deadlines for vote-by-mail ballots would “affect only a tiny fraction of total votes cast,” the report stated.
