Record number of registered voters ahead of California primary

Secretary of State Alex Padilla says there is a record number of registered California voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary. Nearly 18 million Californians are signed up to vote in the 2016 presidential primary, an increase of 760,000 registered voters compared to the 2012 presidential primary.

“Locally, compared to 2012, there was an increase of more than 10 percent in voter registration so we are getting ready for a higher turnout than previous elections but we are getting ready,” said Greta Arevalo, Monterey County elections program manager.

Both the state and Monterey County are seeing similar registration numbers — around 72 percent. Santa Cruz County sits up a little bit higher at 76 percent. Democrats make up more than half of the registered voters in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. Republicans make up smaller numbers — 16 and 23 percent, respectively.

In the days leading up to the voter registration deadline, there was a huge surge in the number of people registering to vote. According to the secretary of state, it was nearly 650,000 people. They say social media sites like Facebook fueled the surge.

“I noticed that in the last several years, Facebook especially, the young people have been using social media to remind people to vote, to share their political opinions,” Nicole Moreland said.

A lot of people registered through the Monterey County Elections website.

“We have seen an increase in people registering online than in person because it’s more accessible for them to do it at home and they don’t have to go to a physical location and complete a registration form,” Arevalo said.

First-time voter Alex Moreland said she wasn’t surprised by the record number of registered voters.

“Probably that this is going to be a crucial election because we have two different sides completely going against each other,” Moreland said.

Ahead of the Tuesday contests, there was a constant stream of cars in the Monterey County Elections Office parking lot. Poll workers have been training for a heavy turnout, and will be stationed there and at the 83 polling places countywide. They say they are ready to help.

“This is a hard election if it’s your first election, because there are all these peculiar rules and restrictions that are hard for even people who work in elections to keep straight,” said Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation.

For example, voters who are registered as “no party preference,” can vote with a Democrat, American Independent or Libertarian ballot, but California’s Republican primary is closed to only those registered with the party.

Voters must sign their ballots or else they will not be counted. There’s no electioneering near polling places, so people wearing clothing or insignia supporting one political candidate will be asked to remove it or come back. While social media may have boosted voter registration, cellphones are not allowed in the voting booth.