California voters set record low turnout on Tuesday (44.8%)

Sac Bee ^ | 11/06/02 | Jim Wasserman - AP

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO(AP) - California voters registered a 44.8 percent turnout on Tuesday, marking a new historic low in the state's Election Day participation.

The California Secretary of State's Office reported Wednesday that 6.8 million of the state's 15.3 million registered voters cast ballots to decide races for governor, state legislators and thousands of city and county issues.

[NormsRevenge]

44.8%

Pathetic.

[NormsRevenge]

Asta La Vista Babyyyy Ping

[crypt2k]

In our polling station in Riverside county (a win for Simon county) it was JAM PACKED ALL DAY.

[billorites]

"Pathetic."

¿Que?

[Commander8]

People who vote on Election Day(or fill out absentee ballots.) are citizens, people who stay home on Election Day or don't even bother to register are subjects.

[Dog Gone]

If conservatives weren't motivated to vote against Gray Davis, nothing will motivate them.

[NormsRevenge]

See posts 5 & 6 .

[NormsRevenge]

Pathetic in the sense that so much is at stake and so few would make a trip to the polls or vote absentee.

It could be the attack ads, it could be the general malaise of living life on and off of freeway ramps and all the DioXin and MTBE. Maybe it is just apathy. But whatever it is, it hurt.

We needed closer to 8 million total voters for Simon to have a legitimate chance, approximately 6.8 million voted.

Basically, Davi$ has been campaigning and fund-raising at the same time for years. That the electorate feels so weak to even want to help GraYouT set his priorites straight, is what really says it all for me. IMO.

[petuniasevan]

I don't get it. Californians KNEW what the stakes are.

Did they REALLY think that staying home was going to "send a message" or some such nonsense?

Why did only Gold Country voters turn out in numbers?

This is definitely a case of "you get the government you deserve".

Know what CA needs? An electoral college process for state level elections.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Get pollwatchers in the polls, California.

I'm told that State law prevents this. Is this correct?

This is exactly what a vote would look like if the democratic controled counties squelch the R votes out.

[Red Jones]

the citizens of california are spending so much time in their cars commuting, their tv keeps them ignorant, they are beaten down and don't know who to vote for or trust. Only a minority of the citizens even pay attention.

[let freedom sing]

This is definitely a case of "you get the government you deserve".

No, I'd say it's a case of "you get the goverment special interests paid for."

[altair]

This is definitely a case of "you get the government you deserve".

The message is clear looking at the results of the propositions. All of the bond issues passed. Californians want higher taxes and bigger state government. I want the California I grew up in back, it used to be a nice place to live.

[psjones]

Looking at these counties that had high turn outs tells me that there were Republicans who were motivated. Just about all the high turnout counties specified went to Simon. However, I did hear the turnout in OC was not that high. Here's a link. Sorry, I don't know how to post it so you can just click on it.

http://vote2002.ss.ca.gov/Returns/gov/59.htm

[frei_staat]

Well, I know two absentee votes they recieved were from me and the frau.

I always wonder if they actually count them or just chuck them when they see straight repub vote.

[xm177e2]

I don't get it. Californians KNEW what the stakes are.

Simon wasn't a guy we wanted running our state. We had no one to vote for, so we stayed home.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

What was the objection in regard to Simon? I am curious?

[xm177e2]

He was slimy. Davis ran a lot of commericals about this. He was running on his record as a businessman, but it wasn't a great record.

There was also the photo incident. He claimed he had photographic proof that Davis accepted illegal contributions... but the photo didn't pan out. He's a jerk and a slimeball.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Davis ran a lot of commericals about this

And you believed the commercials?