It’s certified: Record statewide turnout on Feb. 5

There has been much chatter in the news yesterday and today about the now-verifiable record turnout in California for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary.

The numbers are all part of the California Secretary of State’s Statement of the Vote for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary Election, a meta compilation of certified results from each of California’s 58 counties. It includes results from our Statement of the Vote issued on March 4.

Nearly 9.1 million votes were cast on Feb. 5, representing an unusually high turnout of nearly 58 percent. When you look at the numbers over time, that’s the highest turnout for a primary since 1980. But it’s by no means a record, as turnout was nearly 73 percent in June 1976.

Similar to what we saw in San Mateo County, it was the highest statewide turnout for a primary this century. As the Sacramento Bee noted, this election garnered about 1.2 million more votes than the presidential primary in 2000, which held the previous primary record for absolute number of voters.

The statement breaks how presidential candidate votes were cast by county and congressional district. You’ll note that San Mateo County voted 44.5 percent for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., 50.9 percent for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and 51.1 percent for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

There are couple of other interesting trends – for better or for worse – that the numbers further reveal that we think are worth pointing out.

Letters drawn for local measures on June 3 ballot

And you thought Scrabble was only for playing games? We use it for some serious business around here.

Yes, the timeless favorite has a secret double life at the Elections Office: the mechanism for random assignment of letters to local ballot measures. And this morning at 11 a.m. we employed the services of N, O, P and Q tiles.

Elections officials are given some leeway on assigning letters to local measures, but it has been our longstanding practice to assign them by randomly drawing Scrabble tiles from a hat or bowl. Countywide measures are first, followed by school district measures, city measures and special district measures. Letters are cycled through the alphabet with each successive election. The last letter used for local measures on the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary ballot was M, so for the June 3 election the group of letters used in the drawing started with N.

We do it this way to make the process completely impartial and to avoid the perception or reality of an advantage being given to a particular ballot question.

Court gives some June candidates extended statement deadline

Some around here are fond of saying that the code will get you every time, and today we present Exhibit A.

After discovering conflicting provisions in two different sections of California law, San Mateo County Superior Court Judge George Miram today ordered that the filing deadline for candidate statements for partisan State Assembly and Senate candidates who have accepted campaign spending limits be extended until 5 p.m. on Friday so that they can make specific amendments related to endorsements.

Sounds like a lot of fuss over some very fine print for these candidates running in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary, but it’s worth at least trying to understand.

Candidate statements appearing in your Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet are designed for nonpartisan offices. However, Proposition 34, which went into effect in 2001, allows candidates for State Assembly or Senate the opportunity to purchase space for a campaign statement in the pamphlet if they accept campaign spending limits.  A reward, if you will, for accepting them.

Here is the provision from the proposition, which is now part of Government Code § 85601.

A candidate for State Senate or Assembly who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits… may purchase the space to place a statement in the voter information portion of the sample ballot that does not exceed 250 words. The statement may not make any reference to any opponent of the candidate. The statement shall be submitted in accordance with the timeframes and procedures set forth in the Elections Code for the preparation of the voter information portion of the sample ballot.

Following the direction of the last sentence, we turn to Elections Code. Elections Code § 13307, which is the only portion of the code concerning candidate statements, has very specific regulations about statements, the most relevant being this:

The statement may include the name, age and occupation of the candidate and a brief description, of no more than 200 words, of the candidate’s education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself.

Bottom line, if it’s not in the above sentence, it’s not allowed.

Candidates set for June 3 Statewide Direct Primary

With the filing deadline now passed (it was 5 p.m. on Friday), we now have a solid idea of who will be on the ballot come June 3. See the full list of who filed in San Mateo County.

Most important to note is that the extension period does not apply to any races for this Statewide Direct Primary. In all races where the incumbent was eligible to run, he or she filed for another run at the Elections Office, closing the filing period for good. (In cases where an eligible incumbent does not file, the filing period is extended for three days to encourage more first-time office seekers.)

So, some highlights for you:

Four of the five Democratic County Central Committee districts will have contested elections. The second and fifth districts each have nine candidates vying for four seats! One Republican County Central Committee election, for the third district, is also contested.

The 12th Congressional District race for the 2009-11 term is also chock full o’ candidates. Following the death of U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, who held the seat since 1981, the field is wide open. Between San Mateo and San Francisco counties, it appears that nine candidates have filed to run for the seat. It will be up to the Secretary of State to provide a final certified list of candidates.

Another big race for San Mateo County is the 19th Assembly District. Gene Mullin is termed out, leaving the seat wide open, and six citizens have responded to the call.

Statement of the Vote is here, Feb. 5 turnout not quite 60%

Well, we have some opening of the mouth and inserting of the foot to do.

Earlier this year we spouted all kinds of predictions about record turnout in San Mateo County for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary. Elections Manager David Tom told the media he thought turnout would be more than 60 percent. Our own Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum predicted in a press release issued from our office that San Mateo County’s turnout” may reach as high as 71 percent.”

Yeah, so we were a little off.

Now that the Statement of the Vote is complete, we can officially say that turnout in San Mateo County for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary was 59.29 percent. A very high number, certainly, but no record smasher. Kudos to the nearly 211,697 of you who made your choices heard in this historic election, but where were the rest of you?

To be fair, turnout far exceeded the 48.61 percent turnout seen in the 2004 Presidential Primary Election. It also surpassed the 55.12 percent turnout for the Statewide Special Election in Nov. 2005, and the 57.49 percent turnout for the 2000 Presidential Primary Election. That is definitely something to be proud of.

But we haven’t had turnout above 60 percent in a presidential primary in San Mateo County since 1980, and we couldn’t quite make it over that elusive threshold this time around either.

We have few answers as to why; do you?

It remains to be seen what official statewide voter turnout will be and whether it will, in fact, break any records. Now that all 58 counties have certified their votes (the deadline was today), the California Secretary of State has until March 17 to compile all that data into a meta Statement of the Vote and certify statewide results.

Finishing up February and getting ready for April

We’ve been spending these last couple of days tying up loose ends from February and completing some preliminary steps before we really get into the heart of preparations for the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary.

The one percent manual recount of the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary was finished up earlier this week, and the vote will be certified on Tuesday. Watch for it!

Election folk are now busy updating our voter participation records from February polling place rosters. (Remember the roster you signed on Election Day? It serves as the official paper record that you voted in the election; we also transfer that information, voter by voter, to electronic voter registration records.)

We are also archiving ballot data from the eSlates used on Feb. 5. When your vote is cast electronically, it is actually recorded in three different places to ensure adequate backup. All that data has to be removed and archived for storage, wiping the slates – no pun intended – clean for the next election.

Furthermore, we’re testing batteries on nearly 2,000 eSlate printers, (lined up on the shelves here) which provide a paper verification of how you voted, and putting fresh rolls of paper in each.

Right around the corner – as in, next week – we will be sending Sample Ballots & Official Voter Information Pamphlets, as well as official ballots, off to be printed and mailed. We’ll also begin conducting Logic & Accuracy (L&A) testing on the eSlates. (L&A testing is all about making sure that the programs installed on voting equipment, as well as the equipment itself, read and record votes the way voters intend. Read more about it.)

All of this has to be done by March 10 14, which is when early voting begins.

Actually, make that five candidates for the special congressional open primary

O.K., we admit it.

We screwed up with yesterday’s post about three candidates for the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary Election, and we apologize. It actually appears that there will be five. And though we used the phrase “it’s official” preceeding those three candidates, we technically can’t say that either, because it’s up to the Secretary of State to certify the list of candidates. She has until March 3 to do so.

The reason we screwed up is embarrassingly simple: we’re so enveloped by our San Mateo County tunnel vision that we failed to check to see which potential candidates had filed with San Francisco County. Remember, the 12th Congressional District also includes part of San Francisco.

You’ll see that there’s two candidates on this list who did not file in San Mateo County, but that doesn’t exclude or disqualify them. Since the seat crosses county boundaries, the Secretary of State becomes the official “elections office.” We simply perform the filing duties and forward the results to the state, and it’s up to her office to certify everything. (And, by the way, here are the official qualifications and requirements for becoming a certified candidate.)

So, here is the official unofficial list. Remember, it won’t really be official until we get the certified list on March 3.

· Jackie Speier, Democratic, former state senator, of Burlingame;

· Mike Moloney, Republican, retired businessman, of Foster City;

· Greg Conlon, Republican, businessman/CPA, of Atherton;

· Barry Hermanson, Green, equity investor, of San Francisco; and

· Michelle T. McMurry, Democratic, health policy director, of San Francisco.

It’s still true that if one candidate receives a majority (50 percent plus one) of votes, that candidate is declared the winner and no general election is held. But, based on the addition of two candidates, let us stand corrected on what happens if no candidate receives a majority of the votes. In that case, now, Hermanson and the top vote-getters from the Democratic and Republican parties will be placed on the ballot for a special congressional general election, which will be held on June 3 in conjunction with the Statewide Direct Primary Election.

We hope you can forgive us for the slip-up.

Three candidates for special congressional open primary

It’s official – there will be three candidates for the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary for the 12th Congressional District. With the filing deadline closed yesterday, we know who will be on the ballot:

· Jackie Speier, Democratic former state senator, of Burlingame;

· Mike Moloney, Republican retired businessman, of Foster City; and

· Greg Conlon, Republican businessman/CPA, of Atherton.

Speaking of ballots, a reminder that, as an open primary, all candidates will appear on the same ballot. Voters can vote for whomever they choose, regardless of political party affiliation.  If a single candidate receives a majority of the vote (50 percent plus one), then that candidate is declared the winner and no general election is necessary. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, Speier and the top vote-getter from the Republican party will be placed on the ballot for a special congressional general election, which will be held on June 3 in conjunction with the Statewide Direct Primary Election. Read more about how the special congressional election works in our previous post.

Now, don’t go and get yourself confused, as the candidates running in this race are different than the candidates running for the seat in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary. The April 8 election is only to fill the remainder of the unexpired term for the district. The term ends on Jan. 3, 2008, and was vacated after U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos died from esophageal cancer on Feb. 11. Candidates running in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary are vying for the regular two-term that begins on Jan. 4, 2009. The filing deadline for that race isn’t until March 7, so we are still uncertain what the final candidate pool will look like (but here are filings so far).

Aiming to go all-mail for special congressional election

With the support of our county Board of  Supervisors, we’re aiming to conduct the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary Election entirely through the mail.

This is a novelty for California, and one we believe has the potential to save taxpayers money and increase voter turnout for this one-time, district-specific race.

The election was called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fill the seat for the 12th Congressional District that was vacated by U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos after his death on Feb. 11. The district encompasses a good portion of San Mateo County and part of San Francisco. Read more about the basics of the election in our previous post.

So we’re in the throes of solidifying a bill author, formulating bill language and seeking approval from the state legislature and the governor to conduct a pilot all-mail election, using this special race as our test case.

Our argument goes something like this:

There are 255,749 registered voters in the 12th Congressional District, with nearly 40 percent of them already permanent Vote by Mail voters. Furthermore, of the 383 precincts in the district, about 10 percent of them are designated as All-Mail precincts (Voters in those precincts vote through the mail largely because there is no facility within their precinct that meets accessibility requirements for a physical polling place).

Turnout for special elections is typically very low – we are lucky if we get 30 percent. We are further concerned that, with three major elections this year – the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary, the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary, and the Nov. 3 General Election – that voter and poll worker fatigue could set in by requiring a fourth trip to the polls in the span of ten months. 

Voters who Vote by Mail in San Mateo County have a participation rate of 70 to 85 percent, and we believe that an all-mail ballot process might further increase participation. Participation rates of registered voters who vote in person tend to hover around 40 to 50 percent. To further encourage participation, ballot envelopes will be postage paid, meaning it will cost voters nothing to return their ballot other than a trip to the mailbox.

To conduct the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary at the polls will cost taxpayers about $1 million. We believe we can cut the cost down to $650,000 with an all-mail election. This is worth giving a second thought at a time when the state has a $16 billion budget deficit that is jeopardizing county programs. Every dollar saved helps.

How the special congressional election works

We’re sure you’ve probably heard about the death on Feb. 11 of U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, who represented much of San Mateo County in Congress for nearly three decades. But governing must move forward, and that includes filling his unexpired term through a Special Congressional Open Primary Election on April 8.  It’s a different kind of election, so you may have a few questions about how it all works.

But first we digress for a moment of reflection.

A survivor of the Holocaust and chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Lantos was known as a steadfast champion of human rights around the world. The committee has an archived video of his Feb. 14 memorial service at the U.S. Capitol, featuring a wash of luminaries from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to U2 frontman Bono (who is pictured speaking here). RealPlayer is required.

On Feb. 12, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called a special general election on June 3 to fill the remainder of the term of the 12th Congressional District seat vacated by Lantos’ death. Seems it would be easy enough, considering that we already have a Statewide Direct Primary Election scheduled for the same day.

But because this is a partisan office, the special election also requires its own primary, which is calculated by counting back eight Tuesdays. Hence, the April 8 date we referenced earlier.

This primary is different, in that it’s a open one. Regardless of political party, there is just one ballot that everyone votes, and all candidates appear on it. Voters can choose anyone.

The deadline to file to be a candidate in the special election is Monday.