[EL] undervotes in California Nov. 2012 election, in one-party races

[Richard Winger]

In November 2012, California had 28 partisan races in which the only two choices on the ballot were two members of the same party.  There were 8 such US House races, 2 State Senate races, and 18 Assembly races.

I have learned the number of "ballots cast" in each of these races, by examining the county election office web pages.  "Ballots cast" means the number of voters went to the bother of getting a ballot, and casting that ballot.

I have learned that 16.01% of the voters in these races cast a blank ballot in these races.  Obviously, lots of voters, when confronted with only two candidates, both of them from a party that the voter dislikes, will abstain rather than casting a vote.

Not surprisingly, the race with the highest undervotes was the 31st U.S. House district, the only one of these 28 districts in which the party that had the most registrants didn't have any member on the ballot.  The 31st US House district undervote was 23.1%.

I haven't yet studied undervoting in California before top-two started, except I note that in November 2010, statewide the US House undervote was 6.33%.  There were 10,300,392 ballots cast in that election, and the total US House vote was 9,648,096.  Democrats lacked candidates in 2 US House districts in 2010.



Richard Winger

415-922-9779

PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147
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