Voter turnout might reach record low in California

November 4, 2014
A voter heads to a voting booth with his ballot in hand at Speedway High School, Speedway, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014.  Record-low voter turnout could be the most notable development of the day as California is not faring much better. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

A voter heads to a voting booth with his ballot in hand at Speedway High School, Speedway, Ind., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. Record-low voter turnout could be the most notable development of the day as California is not faring much better. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – About 18.8 percent of Los Angeles County’s 4,898,031 voters had cast ballots as of 4 p.m. today, the latest figures available, according to the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk office.

The figures include vote-by-mail ballots, assuming 40 percent of those ballots were returned, according to office spokeswoman Regina Ip.

At the same time four years ago, about 30.3 percent of the county’s registered voters had gone to the ballot box, according to the office.

The polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m.

In Orange County, voter turnout was 8.9 percent as of 3 p.m., compared to 12.6 percent in November 2010. Officials say 34 percent of the vote-by-mail ballots that had been sent out were turned in.