SOME VOTERS ARE STILL AT THE
POLLS TONIGHT.
THE AFTER WORK CROWD.
BUT WE ARE EXPECTING A LOW
TURNOUT.
JOINING US NOW IS KCRA 3
POLITICAL ANALYST STEVE SWATT.
WE SEE PEOPLE VOTING BY MAIL OR
BRING IN THOSE BALLOTS TODAY.
WHAT YOU THINK IS BEHIND THIS
LOW VOTER TURNOUT?
FIRST OF ALL, WE SET A RECORD
LOW FOR A PRIMARY IN THE
MID-20'S IN JUNE.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL SET
ANOTHER RECORD IN NOVEMBER.
THE REASON IS SEVERAL -- WE HAVE
SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE, WE DO NOT HAVE A PRESIDENT
ON THE TOP OF THE TICKET TO DRAW
VOTERS.
WE DO NOT HAVE A COMPETITIVE
RACE FOR GOVERNOR, PROBABLY THE
LEAST EMBEDDED OF SINCE 1946.
WE DO NOT HAVE A COMPETITIVE
SENATE RACE EITHER.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY LUCK BUSTER
MEASURES ON THE STATE AL IT TO
DRAW VOTERS IN -- THE STATE
BALLOT TO DRAW VOTERS IN.
THE LOWEST TURNOUT
WAS 2002,
WHICH WAS AN INDICATION VOTERS
DID NOT LIKE THEIR CHOICES BACK
THEN.
WE PROBABLY WILL END UP BELOW
THAT.
IT AFFECTS
RACES.
REPUBLICANS ARE MORE
RELIABLE
VOTERS.
WHEN YOU HAVE LOW TURNOUT, YOU
GET AN ELECTORATE THAT IS OLDER,
WIDER, MORE CONSERVATIVE. THE
EXPECTATION IS THE ACTUAL
ELECTORATE WILL BE 34%
REPUBLICAN AT THE TIME ALL OF
THE VOTE IS DOWN TO.
WE WILL TALK TO OUR
ANALYST
ABOUT SPECIFIC RACES AND THE
IMPACT OF VOTER TURNOUT COULD
HAVE ON THOSE IN JUST A MOMENT,
BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT CAN BE
DONE TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO THE
POLLS.
IN OUR SECRETARY OF STATE RACE,
THE TWO CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY MAY DO
AS SECRETARY OF STATE TO
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SHOW UP.
THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO,
VOTER REGISTRATION AND THINGS
LIKE THAT, THAT HELP.
THAT THE OTHER THING WOULD BE
CHANGING THE TONE OF A
CAMPAIGNS.
SURVEYS INDICATE AND STUDIES
INDICATE THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A
MUCH MORE POSITIVE CAMPAIGN,
THAT DOES HELP GIVE VOTERS TO
THE POLLS AND WHEN IT IS ALL
NEGATIVE, THAT DEPRESSES THE
VOTER TURNOUT AND IT KEEPS
PEOPLE AWAY.
CALIFORNIA STILL DOES RELY ON
TELEVISION FOR ITS PRIMARY NEWS
AND INFORMATION FOR MOST VOTERS,
AND
THE DEFINITION OF A CAMPAIGN
RALLY IN CALIFORNIA IS THREE
PEOPLE SITTING AROUND THE
TELEVISION SET.
WITH THE ONSLAUGHT OF NEGATIVE
CAMPAIGNING, IT REINFORCES
CYNICISM AND IDEAS PEOPLE
ALREADY HAVE THE POLITICIANS AND
POLITICS IS A 30 BUSINESS.
AND THAT FEELING THAT I DON'T
LIKE ANY OF THEM, SO WHY BOTHER?
EXACTLY.
VOTERS HAVE A LITTLE MORE
THAN AN HOUR TO CAST THEIR
BALLOT.
WE WANT TO BRING
IN SOME OTHER
POLITICAL ANALYST TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
WE HAVE A REPUBLICAN
POLITICAL ANALYST KEVIN ECKERY
AND OUR DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL
ANALYST ROBIN SWANSON.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE RACES,
INCLUDING SECRETARY OF STATE.
ROBIN, WHY DON'T WE START WITH
YOU?
THEY SAY THE TURNOUT WILL BE
LOW AND WE STILL OF AN HOUR TO
PROVE THEM WRONG CALIFORNIA.
FIELD GOALS SUGGESTS THAT
ONLY
23% ARE GOING TO VOTE.
THESE
RACES LIKE CONTROLLER ARE
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
THE CONTROLLER'S RACE WAS
DECIDED IN THE PRIMARY I LESS
THAN A THOUSAND VOTES. YOUR VOTE
BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT WHEN
THERE ARE FEWER VOTERS.
THE BOAT WE SHOULD POINT OUT IN
THE SECRETARY OF STATE RACE, THE
PERSON WHO AYMAN THIRD WAS NOT
EVEN RUNNING.
HE WAS UNDER INDICTMENT.
PEOPLE NOT NECESSARILY PAYING
ATTENTION.
LET'S START WITH YOU KEVIN --
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RACE
BETWEEN MARSHALL TOP AND TOM
EHRLICH SENT, LEADING UP TO THIS
IT WAS A VIRTUAL TIE.
IT IS A FAIRLY CLOSE RACE.
TWO DEMOCRATS.
A NONPARTISAN RACE.
THAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE NEED TO
REMEMBER.
IT IS A NONPARTISAN RACE AND IT
IS A RACE BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION AND
EVERYONE ELSE.
IT IS GOING TO BE VERY
SOFT.
WE HAVE SEVERAL RACES WERE
LITERALLY ONE OR TWO RACES
--
WHAT ARE TWO VOTES COULD MATTER.
IF YOU COULD TEAR YOUR WAY UP --
TERRY YOUR --
TEAR YOURSELF AWAY
FROM KCRA FOR A FEW
MINUTES, GO
OUT AND VOTE.
IT COULD MATTER.
THIS IS A BATTLE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY?
THEY ARE BOTH DEMOCRATS BUT
IT IS VERY MUCH A NONPARTISAN
RACE.
THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT GOING
TO MARSHALL TUC
K.
80% OF HIS SUPPORT IS REPUBLICAN
OR MORE, TURNOUT WILL BE
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
WE NEED TO SEE WHO IS GOING TO
COME OUT AND VOTE.
I AM TELLING YOU -- THINGS COULD
BE VERY TIGHT IN THESE RACES
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, SO
THERE IS STILL A CHANCE YOU
COULD BE THE DECIDING VOTE.
YOU WERE TRYING TO SAY --
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THEY ARE
VERY DIFFERENT CANDIDATES.
THEY ARE BOTH DEMOCRATS.
WE LIVE IN A STATE WHERE IT IS
TWO THIRDS MAJORITY DEMOCRATS SO
WE HAVE AN EMBARRASSMENT OF
RICHES HERE, BUT TOM TORL
AKSON
HAS THE SUPPORT OF TEACHERS.
THE PEOPLE HE WOULD BE MANAGING
THE LIKE TOM TORLAKSON.