Digging around in the public record, I find that my home parish (Rapides Parish, LA) has 84,174 registered voters. The voters in this parish are primarily Democratic by a small margin, 34K to 27K, but a significant number of voters doesn't list a party, 21K are neither Dem or Rep.
However, in the last big gubernatorial election, where we elect a bunch of state and parish offices (to include the Sheriff), only about 28,000 votes were cast in that election. Only a third of those people who registered to vote bothered to actually go to the polls and make their vote count.
I'm just sayin'.
4 comments:
If you don't vote you forfeit you right to complain.
I read that this week in the primaries in California, the statewide average turnout was 21%. Some major metro areas were below 13%.
That's about average. Only about a third of voters get off their butt.
For what it's worth, in the 2016 presidential election CA as a state turned in 14,181,585. Out of ~18.2 registered voters (yes, a claimed 78% voted).
It broke with 4,483,810 for Trump (31.36%) vs 8,753,788 for Clinton (61.67%) vs the 2012 37.1%/60.2% breakdown.
I don't think that Trump would have won the state, but I suspect that without ballot-box stuffing (thanks, motor-voter and no photo ID!) and no Republicans on the ballot for statewide office (thanks, first post jungle primary election!) the split would have at least matched the 2012 breakdown.
But even discounting possible voter fraud, it looks like CA had over 75% turnout for the presidential election. And about half that - maybe 37% or so, close to your numbers - for the last gubernatorial election.
Odd, really - each vote has much more effect in state elections, and on a day to day basis the state government has as much, maybe more, effect on your life.
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