DB14:057
July 11, 2014
Contact: Shannan Velayas
(916) 653-6575
June Primary Results Certified, Showing Record-Low Turnout and Record-High Vote-by-Mail Rate
SACRAMENTO - Final statewide election results certified today show that just 25.2% of registered California voters participated in the June 3 primary election. It was the lowest voter turnout for any statewide election in California; the previous low was 28.2% in June 2008.
The June primary set another record: more than 69% of all participating voters cast their ballots by mail. Previously, the highest percentage of vote-by-mail ballots cast in a statewide election was 65% in the June 2012 primary election. Sierra and Alpine counties are the only California counties that conduct all elections entirely by mail.
For each statewide election in California, county elections officials have 31 days to report their final results to the Secretary of State. The Secretary then publishes the certified Statement of Vote for the entire state on the 38th day after Election Day. The certified June 2014 election results, including county-by-county data and historical statistics on voter turnout, are at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/sov/2014-primary.
"There is no doubt the turnout number is disappointing, but if ever there was a statewide election where every vote mattered, this was certainly it," said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California's chief elections official. "If there is any silver lining, I hope it's a reminder to people who didn't vote in June to take note of close results such as the State Controller contest and commit to going to the polls in November."
The Secretary of State will publish a Supplement to the Statement of Vote by November 8. The supplement will include details about how votes were cast by each city and each legislative, congressional, county supervisorial district, and Board of Equalization district.
Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter. To sign up for ballot measure updates via email, RSS feed or Twitter, go to www.sos.ca.gov/multimedia.
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