California: Low Turnout, High Voting by Mail

Jeremy B. White reports at The Sacramento Bee:

Official tallies released by the California secretary of state’s office capture a record low and a record high. Total turnout for the June primary was the lowest ever for a statewide election, sitting at 25.2 percent. That fell below the previous nadir of 28.2 percent, set in 2008.

“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,” Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement.

While fewer voters participated in an election that was slim on high-profile contests, more than two-thirds of those who chose to vote did so by mailing in ballots. The 69 percent of voters who weighed in by mail broke the previous high-water mark of 65 percent.