Voter Turnout Runs About Half of Previous Years

Voter turnout in today’s Los Angeles municipal primary election, which city officials have predicted could be the lowest in decades, was running only about half that of previous years of mayoral races.

At noon, 6.5% of the eligible voters had gone to the polls, compared to 11% in the last mayoral election in 1985 and 12.5% in 1981, according to the City Clerk’s office.

Four years ago, 34.7% of the registered voters cast ballots in the April city primary election. But given a declining trend of voter turnout in city elections and relatively weak challenges to Mayor Tom Bradley and most incumbent City Council members, City Clerk Elias Martinez projected 25% to 30% of the city’s 1.9 million registered voters will go to the polls today.