Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election

By Dan Abendschein on March 11, 2009 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) |

Looking at some preliminary numbers, it appears that the turnout at Tuesday's election was dismally low. I don't have numbers for the school districts yet, but based on information from the city clerk's office the District 7 race, the only council race without an incumbent, resulted in only a 17.3 percent voter turnout (meaning the percentage of people in the district who are registered to vote that actually do).

The District 7 race totaled 1883 votes in a race with 5 candidates.... by comparison, Sid Tyler got 1,409 votes when he ran unopposed in 2005. Fewer overall voters voted in the council races this year compared to 2005, a year where there were only incumbents on the ballot. In 2001, when Tyler took on Ciran Hadjian, about 2,500 voters turned out.

Turnout was also much higher in 2007, a year which, in all fairness had a mayoral race with a prominent goth socialist-turned-right-winger candidate, as well as a separate ballot measure, and several competitive council races. Still, the overall voting rate for people voting for council members was over 24 percent. This year's rate should be much lower when it comes out- District 7, the only competitive race is at 17.3 percent- the other races, with Holden running unopposed, and Gordo dominating, should drag down the overall turnout rate considerably.

As for the school races, I don't have the numbers, but Larry Wilson offered an anecdotal view in his column today:

TALK about your low-turnout elections.

When I voted Tuesday an hour and 15 minutes after the polls opened in the Pasadena school district election, just five people had cast ballots ahead of me at the Linda Vista fire station.

"Well, that's not so bad, considering," I said to poll worker Martha Denzel. Considering that fully two of the four PUSD board seats up for grabs had just one person running for them. Incumbent Ed Honowitz and, most unusually, electoral newcomer Liz Pomeroy get free hall passes to the Ed Center.

"Yeah, Larry, but two of those voters were myself and Bill," her husband, a fellow poll worker, said Martha. "So now it's just us and you and Nancy Melekian and Jay Berger" and someone else whose name I didn't catch. Not a good sign, when you know almost all who've voted of a morning.

8 Comments

Pasadena voter said:

2005 was NOT a year when only incumbents were running. I think nearly every seat was challenged, some with stronger candidates than others, but incumbents were challenged nonetheless.

March 11, 2009 5:46 PM

NW Pasadena Voter said:

Don't overlook at the District 1 race in 2007. The March election with 6 candidates had more voters than it had in years. Usually in a runoff the drop off is noticable but in the District 1 runoff in 2007 the voting increased by over 10%. I don't now what motivated voters to come out in record numbers for that race but it was incredibly exciting right down to the last precinct counts. It was one of the most watched and anticipated races in decades. The District 7 race pales in comparison.

March 11, 2009 7:50 PM

Sharkey said:

S-Nooze needs reporters who can remember two years ago or maybe check their own stories from the last election. Pathetic you can't check facts from two years ago. Mike

March 12, 2009 4:14 AM

Tom Joyce said:

A real shame that more people do not turn out for school elections and use the vote to demonstrate their interest. A matter of great importance , education, is on the ropes and struggling to exist. The least we could do is show interest in the problems and vote.

March 12, 2009 7:42 AM

Dan said:

Pasadena voter- What I meant was that in 2005 there were no contests that didn't have an incumbent... when there are no open seats you expect a lower turnout. Holden and Tyler did run unopposed, though Gordo had an opponent. But he dominated in the election, as expected. And Sharkey, is there a particular factual problem that you see in this blog entry, or are you just ranting unintelligibly like you usually do?

March 12, 2009 11:04 AM

Annie mouse said:

District 7 *so* deserves Tornek...this is the same guy during the forum at BHS said he didn't want staff to follow what "their friends in Sacramento said...but to do what District 7 needs". Yep - that's what we need - a guy that is going to get our City sued because he asks staff to disregard state law. Be careful what you ask for - it won't just be him sitting up at the Dais - but that HUGE ego of his....better get two chairs. And East District 7 - Gary says "no one listens to the east side of District 7" - here's a news flash - no one ever will - you don't vote. District 7 is always represented by someone from Madison Heights and always will - they get out and vote.

March 12, 2009 2:46 PM

D.J. said:

Why is Tornek a bad choice for dist.7? 1. He's the ultimate insider, Bogaards buddy. 2. He's a real estate developer who is pretending to be anti-growth. 3. He has no regard for affordable housing in Pasadena 4. He won't sign the campaign advertising agreement which means he'll be running a dirty campaign. What Pasadena doesn't need on the council is another attorney or real estate developer. York will be an experienced fresh voice on the council and it will be a womans voice. She is not connected to the "Pasadena Political Machine" so she will lead by practicality and not from being "connected". PASADENA NEEDS YORK IN DISTRICT 7.

March 14, 2009 3:57 PM

parent said:

Low turnout! In other polls that could be an advantage in certain situations. If more "anti-illegals and close the border" people would show up at the polls and vote for what you believe, our America would not be changing at such a fast rate. I am talking at the local level. Vote for your local politians who want to close the border!! Too much crime is being committed by illegas, not to mention the money being put into their high school education is being wasted by many of them. All across America!! How? Every class they fail must be made up. That costs us TAXPAYERS plenty of extra money. The longer we wait, the more we move backward

May 28, 2009 10:40 AM

parent on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: Low turnout! In other polls that could be an advantage in certain sit ...

D.J. on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: Why is Tornek a bad choice for dist.7? 1. He's the ultimate insider, ...

Annie mouse on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: District 7 *so* deserves Tornek...this is the same guy during the foru ...

Dan on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: Pasadena voter- What I meant was that in 2005 there were no contests t ...

Tom Joyce on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: A real shame that more people do not turn out for school elections and ...

Sharkey on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: S-Nooze needs reporters who can remember two years ago or maybe check ...

NW Pasadena Voter on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: Don't overlook at the District 1 race in 2007. The March election with ...

Pasadena voter on Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election: 2005 was NOT a year when only incumbents were running. I think nearly ...

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Low voter turnout for Tuesday's election

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