Why Is This Important?
Voting allows people to participate in community-wide decision making.  High voter turnout indicates citizens are engaged and feel empowered to influence decisions affecting them.  High voter participation is essential so that public policy accurately reflects the will of the people.  Low voter turnout can signal disenfranchisement and skew public policy toward the desires of those who voted, rather than for the common good of all community members.

What Is a Sustainable State?
A sustainable state is one where all members of society participate in the democratic process by voting, assuring that all elected officials and ballot measures represent the will of the people. 

How Are We Doing?
In 2007, there were 11 cities or towns in San Mateo County with elections for council seats and one, San Bruno, with a mayoral election.  The following chart shows the percentage of registered voters who voted in each of these elections.  Differences may reflect the presence of other local measures on ballots or different levels of competition for council seats.

Data source: San Mateo County Elections Office

Voter turnout is typically highest in even years when federal and state offices are on the ballot and lowest during odd years, such as 2007, when elections consist primarily of local offices and issues. 

In the 2006 midterm election, voter turnout—as expressed as the percentage of eligible voters who voted (as opposed to the number of registered voters who voted)—was 45 percent in San Mateo County, compared with 39 percent statewide.  Turnout in the county has exceeded statewide turnout in each of the past five even-year elections. 

Data source: California Secretary of State and the San Mateo County Elections
Office

Other findings include:

  • The 2000 and 2004 presidential election years were the only years in the past decade when the percentage of eligible voters who voted exceeded 50 percent in San Mateo County. 
  • In 2007, 74 percent of eligible voters in the county were registered to vote, compared to 68 percent statewide.
  • Voter registration rates vary by age group and are highest among older voters.  In 2006, individuals over the age of 55 accounted for roughly
    31 percent of the voting age population, but over 35 percent of registered voters. 

 

See appendix page 79, CLICK HERE. . Researchers: Bertram Ieong and Terry Li