Office of the
City Clerk
411 West Ocean Blvd., Lobby Level
Long Beach, CA 90802
Long Beach, CA 90802
7/14/2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 20160714
Subject:
CITY OF LONG BEACH ACHIEVES MILESTONE INCREASING VOTER PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL ELECTIONS
Contact:
Office of the City Clerk
(562) 570-6101
CityClerk@longbeach.gov
(562) 570-6101
CityClerk@longbeach.gov
Long Beach (July 14, 2016) — Long Beach City Clerk Maria de la Luz Garcia announced today that the City of Long Beach has achieved a milestone in its effort to increase voter participation in local elections. A total of 39.70 percent of eligible voters voted in the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election in which there appeared one contest, Council District 2. Additionally, a total of 40.12 percent of voters in the City of Long Beach turned out to vote in the June 7, 2016 California Statewide Primary Election in which there appeared two local ballot measures.
On average, 20 percent of voters have turned out to vote in local City elections in the last decade. The highest voter turnout in that period happened in the June 6, 2006 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election where 28.9 percent of voters turned out to vote for a citywide election. In the last Citywide election held in April and June 2014 17.5 percent and 20.8 percent of voter’s turnout to vote, respectively.
On January 19, 2016 the Long Beach City Council adopted Resolution 16-0006 authorizing the Office of the City Clerk to coordinate elections with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk in order to afford voters a more simplified and unified voting experience, reduce voter confusion, and increase voter participation. Previous to this effort, local June runoff elections were colloquially known as “Two Vote Tuesday” because they were conducted concurrently with the California Statewide Primary Election. This year voters in the local runoff election received one Official Sample Ballot booklet (inclusive of both the California Statewide and Long Beach General Municipal Elections), were asked to report to one polling place, check in to one official table, sign one Roster, received two ballots (one for the Statewide and one for the local election), and cast them into one ballot box.
“This is a great achievement for the voters in the City of Long Beach and for our local democracy,” said City Clerk de la Luz Garcia.
At its meeting on July 12, 2016, the City Council adopted a Resolution certifying the results of the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal election. Election results for this and previous elections are available on the City Clerk’s website: www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk.
On average, 20 percent of voters have turned out to vote in local City elections in the last decade. The highest voter turnout in that period happened in the June 6, 2006 City of Long Beach General Municipal Election where 28.9 percent of voters turned out to vote for a citywide election. In the last Citywide election held in April and June 2014 17.5 percent and 20.8 percent of voter’s turnout to vote, respectively.
On January 19, 2016 the Long Beach City Council adopted Resolution 16-0006 authorizing the Office of the City Clerk to coordinate elections with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk in order to afford voters a more simplified and unified voting experience, reduce voter confusion, and increase voter participation. Previous to this effort, local June runoff elections were colloquially known as “Two Vote Tuesday” because they were conducted concurrently with the California Statewide Primary Election. This year voters in the local runoff election received one Official Sample Ballot booklet (inclusive of both the California Statewide and Long Beach General Municipal Elections), were asked to report to one polling place, check in to one official table, sign one Roster, received two ballots (one for the Statewide and one for the local election), and cast them into one ballot box.
“This is a great achievement for the voters in the City of Long Beach and for our local democracy,” said City Clerk de la Luz Garcia.
At its meeting on July 12, 2016, the City Council adopted a Resolution certifying the results of the June 7, 2016 City of Long Beach General Municipal election. Election results for this and previous elections are available on the City Clerk’s website: www.longbeach.gov/cityclerk.