California Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Monday released the 2015 Report of Registration that shows a drop in the number of registered voters in Lake County and across the state.
The report shows that 72.7 percent of eligible Californians were registered to vote as of Feb. 10, 2015.
A total of 17,717,936 Californians are currently registered to vote – down 337,847 since the last off-year report, but up 531,405 from two years earlier, Padilla's office reported.
“While registration rates fluctuate year-to-year, the stubborn truth remains that more than a quarter of otherwise eligible California citizens are not registered to vote,” Padilla said. “If we are serious about increasing voter turnout in California, we must do more to increase voter registration in California.”
Secretary Padilla is calling for a new motor voter law that would seamlessly register voters when they get a driver's license or renew one. Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law a similar measure earlier this month.
Padilla called the Oregon law “a model for California.”
In the last two years, the percentage of voters registered statewide with the Democratic Party decreased by 0.7 percent and voters registered with the Republican Party decreased by 0.9 percent.
The number of registered voters with no party preference has increased by 2.7 percent.
In Lake County, the report also showed a decrease in the number of registered voters from February 2013 to 2015, despite an increase in the number of people eligible for voter registration.
In February 2013, out of 46,896 eligible voters, there were 35,132 registered voters, or 74.91 percent, the report showed.
That compares to February 2015, when there were 49,108 eligible voters and 32,965 registered voters, or 67.13 percent voter registration, according to the report.
In Lake County there were voter registration decreases across the major parties, but slight growth amongst the Libertarian and Peace and Freedom parties, with the largest increase in the “no party preference” category.
In fact, the 9,027 Lake County voters – or 27.38 percent of overall registered voters – who chose no party preference placed the county No. 4 statewide for registration under that category, following much larger urban counties of San Francisco (31.46 percent), Santa Clara (30.18 percent) and San Diego (27.41).
The February 10, 2015, Report of Registration reflects updates to voter registration rolls in California’s 58 counties, including the removal of registrants who have passed away, moved out of state, or have been determined to be ineligible to vote, as well as the addition of new registrants.
The complete report is at www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/voter-registration-statistics/ror-odd-year-2015 .
By law, statewide voter registration updates must occur 60 and 15 days before each general election, and 154, 60 and 15 days before each primary election.
One update is published in each odd-numbered year with no regularly scheduled statewide election.
The registration totals for the six qualified political parties and voters who have no party preference follow are shown in the chart below both for the state and for Lake County, specifically.
Secretary of state releases report on voter registration; Lake County registration down
- Lake County News reports
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