Report How Greater Vote-by-Mail Influences California Voter Turnout By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Sep 9, 2020 With COVID-19 threatening the November election, many states are working to increase voting by mail. In California, 15 counties have already expanded alternatives to in-person voting, and while overall voter turnout was higher, groups such as foreign-language and young voters sometimes saw declines. Outreach by trusted messengers may help in targeting low-turnout groups.
blog post Who Voted in the 2022 Election and What Does It Mean for 2024? By Eric McGhee May 24, 2023 While California turnout in last fall’s election was lower across the board compared to 2020—a presidential election year—the decline in voting was especially large among Asian Americans, Latinos, and women.
Report Vote-by-Mail and Voter Turnout in the Pandemic Election By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Apr 12, 2021 Many states changed their policies to increase voting by mail and reduce the risk from COVID-19 during the 2020 election. In California, officials took extra steps to facilitate vote-by-mail and accommodate in-person voting. This report analyzes how these policy shifts affected voter turnout in California and the nation.
Fact Sheet Voter Participation in California By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus Sep 9, 2015
Report Voter Turnout in Primary Elections By Eric McGhee May 1, 2014 California’s new top-two primary system did not produce the increase in voter turnout that many had hoped for in 2012. But it did appear to engage independent voters. Examining primary voting trends over time, this report analyzes voter behavior and the potential impact of electoral reforms in this stage of the election cycle. This research is supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation.
Report Putting California’s Voter Turnout in Context By Eric McGhee, Daniel Krimm Feb 17, 2016 Record-low turnout in recent elections and lagging registration rates have spurred efforts to make voting and registration easier. This report takes an in-depth look at both the scope and the nature of the problem, and explores additional reforms that might be pursued.
blog post California’s Voter Turnout Problem By Eric McGhee Nov 19, 2014 Voter turnout in California’s 2014 midterm election was awful. It looks to have hit a new low, with about 42 percent of registered voters deciding to cast a ballot.
Report Equity in Voter Turnout after Pandemic Election Policy Changes By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Mindy Romero Mar 1, 2022 To maintain voting access during the pandemic, California shifted to universal vote-by-mail for the 2020 general election, while some counties consolidated their polling places. In this new report, we examine the sometimes-contradictory impact of these reforms on turnout, especially among young voters and voters of color.
blog post A Turnaround for Voter Turnout? By Eric McGhee Jun 13, 2016 The recent primary offered signs of improvement for California’s abysmally low voter turnout.
