Low voter turnout is becoming something of a trend in San Francisco.
Today, one day before the June 7 election, preliminary data shows that around 21 percent of registered voters citywide have submitted a ballot.
That is lower than the day-before turnout in all our recent elections. Going back less than a year, to the September, 2021, election, turnout was at 49 percent the day before the ballots closed. In February, 2022, it was 24 percent, and in April, 2022, it was 22 percent.
Take a look at which neighborhoods have received the most votes thus far.
Data updated on June 6 at 4 p.m. Data from San Francisco Department of Elections.
Voters are being asked to decide on no fewer than eight propositions in this election, including the controversial recall of District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Primaries for a number of state and federal positions are also on the ballot.
Be sure to check back with us tomorrow for live coverage of the election results. Initial results are expected to be released tomorrow evening at 8:45 p.m.
Will you be updating this story? It sounds like there is a truly surprising number of VBM ballots yet to be counted (100K?!) as of midday Wednesday
https://sfelections.sfgov.org/article/department-elections-releases-preliminary-total-uncounted-ballots-june-7-2022-consolidated
As long as people do not vote, the city will be in the shape it is in – smashed windows, tents in every neighborhood, trash blowing around, shootings, stabbings. Really, are you happy with the status quo?
It is not necessarily true that when a majority does not vote the city is not represented. It is true that the city is shaped by those who vote, And if those people hold vastly different opinions from those who do not vote then we have a minority rule. But, if we (and I do vote) are representative of the majority opinion in San Francisco, then like any poll, the sample size may be small but it remains representative.
But I will say that this year was especially bad for turnout because with so many legally mandated recall elections people hardly understood what was going on and lost interest.
I wonder what Chesa Boudin will do next? Maybe an SF non-profit or try his hand at national advocacy? It’s a strange time to be looking for a new job.