Voters unaffected by controversial issues, high profile campaigns
Renters seemed unconcerned about local and state affairs earlier this week, when they skipped going to the polls, election documents reveal.
Proportionally, Santa Monica voters in precincts consisting of single-family homes voted in far greater numbers than those consisting of apartment complexes.
While renters make up more than 66 percent of Santa Monica’s population, in some cases precincts in the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods of single-family homes north of Montana Avenue voted two-times more than renters predominantly living in the city’s urban areas.
Traditionally, Santa Monica homeowners tend to be more conservative politically and vote in greater numbers while renters tend to be more liberal but often stay away from the polls, officials said.
“In gubernatorial races, we would have expected a higher Democratic renter turnout,” said Denny Zane, a veteran of Santa Monica politics. “Democratic renters didn’t go to the polls as much as they did in the past.”
Zane is also a co-chair of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights — a group that has dominated local politics for decades — and he ran the campaign in support of Measure EE, the school district’s $300 parcel tax.
Voters were said to have been turned-off by the negative campaigns run by the gubernatorial candidates and the negative coverage of the race in the media, officials said.
This year 49 percent of Santa Monica registered voters went to the polls, while in typical gubernatorial elections 60 to 70 percent of residents vote.
However, compared other areas of the state, Santa Monicans voted in higher percentages. In Los Angeles County, 41 percent of those registered voted, while statewide 45 percent went to the polls.
City Clerk Maria Stewart said the initial numbers show that compared to other communities throughout the state, Santa Monica voters still go to the polls in great numbers.
“Santa Monica is consistent with a high turnout, and it did so again in this election,” she said.
But residents in some areas stayed home in far greater numbers than others. One polling station on Second Street recorded a 12.5 percent turnout, while the station at City Hall recorded a 28.5 percent turnout and another polling place on Second Street had 28.9 percent of its voters come out.
Meanwhile, a polling station at Marine Park — an area of single-family homes — had the highest turnout with a 55.8 percent of voters assigned to the precinct casting their ballot. The next two precincts with the highest participation were located north of Montana Avenue, and those each had a 52 percent turnout.
Zane said if Santa Monica’s renters had turned out, the results of the election would have been much different.
“I think if you would have a had a more normal turnout of Democratic renters, you would have had (Measure) JJ passing, (city council candidate Abby) Arnold winning and potentially EE passing as well,” he said. “(Measure) EE needed to make up more ground that the other two, but its chances would have been significantly improved.”
Instead Measure JJ — the “living wage” — was turned back by a margin of 745 votes, Arnold lost by 158 votes, and Measure EE fell 868 votes short of the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 8, 2002. Read the original PDF.