Will the East Bay see record low voter turnout in the June Primary?

Go Vote!! | Early indicators suggest low voter turnout in the East Bay

Early voting across the East Bay is lagging behind returns in recent midterm elections, but the low turnout is not without precedent.

You only have look back to June 2014 to find similar statewide and local turnout. We were two years into President Obama's second term, Governor Brown was seeking re-election after winning handily in 2010, and no controversial ballot measures were drawing statewide attention.

What resulted was neither Alameda or Contra Costa Counties eclipsing 30% turnout of registered voters.

Fast forward eight years and it all feels a little familiar.

While there may not be the kind of headline grabbing races that have driven turnout higher than 50% in recent years, there are many critical races worth voters' attention. The EBLC has highlighted a few of them over the last few weeks including Assembly District 20, Alameda County District 3, and Contra Costa County District 4.

It's challenging to predict how low turnout will impact this year's races and also disheartening that such important offices will be decided by voters not representative of the electorate as a whole. For example, Latinos are 27% of registered voters and yet appear to make up only 15% of votes cast to date.

In light of this trend, the East Bay Leadership Council is calling on all our members to ensure that electoral engagement become an important part of your workplace culture by encouraging voter registration, providing time to vote, and celebrating Election Day like any other important community event.

We all have a role to play to ensure that the East Bay is a region known for world-class civic engagement and voter turnout.

Get ready to vote! ✅

  1. Return your ballot by mail. Postage is prepaid.

  2. Return your ballot to an official drop box. You can find one near you in both Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

  3. Vote on Election Day at your assigned polling place. You can confirm your polling place on the CA Secretary of State's website.

    Polls close at 8PM on Tuesday, June 7th.

Must Read | Berkeley High student charged in case of recruiting students for mass shooting at the school

As our team continues to mourn the nineteen students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School last week, the threat of gun violence came crashing down on our region yesterday with news of a Berkeley High student arrested for preparing and recruiting other students for a mass shooting at the East Bay school.

The reality of how close those students came to tragedy is gut wrenching.

The EBLC is committed to finding new ways for our organization to advance the fight for an East Bay free of gun violence.

Social media spotlight

 

Join #TeamEBLC

If your company is not a member of the East Bay Leadership Council, we hope you will consider joining us. Learn more about our work and the benefits of membership at www.eastbayleadershipcouncil.com

 
NewslettersMark OrcuttTurnout, Vote, Gun ViolenceComment