Large Number of South Gate Voters Turnout for General Election

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The city of South Gate experienced one of its biggest turnout of voters at Tuesday's general election with 16,122 ballots reportedly cast, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office. 

The increase marked a near 400 percent increase in voter turnout compared to . 

The record number accounted for 47 percent of those eligible to vote, or 34,060 registrants. 

Los Angeles County as a whole saw a 51.5 percent voter turnout out of 4.5 million registered voters. 

South Gate City Clerk, Carmen Avalos was not surprised with the amount of voters who showed up at city's polling places. 

"I think that there was a lot of things riding on this election" said Avalos. "A lot of economic implications." 

In fact, voters were faced with many tax-related measures, including two conflicting and arguably important education-funding measures that would reuire an increase of taxes to help fund K-12 schools, community colleges, CSUs and UC schools. 

This year's general election voter turnout even fared better than 2008's general election, which saw Obama's first run for presidency as well as Prop 8's passage to eliminate same-sex marriage.

Only 3,810 South Gate residents, approximately 13.5 percent, showed up to vote for that general election.

Avalos also believed voters felt their decisions mattered in this last election, as opposed to the primary, because the decisions for candidates would be more definitive. 

In fact, due to new primary election rules, the top two candidates with the most votes continued to the next round, as was the case with congreswomen Janice Hahn and Laura Richardson, who were both vying to represent the newly redrawn 44th District, which includes South Gate and Lynwood. 

South Gate Mayor Bill DeWitt found it hard to not notice the large crowd of voters present at Hollydale's polling place in the American Legion Hall, on Garfield Avenue.  

"I drove by and the parking lot was jam full," said DeWitt. "Someone would have to have been living under a rock to not be aware of the elections."

Stay tuned for an article on Lynwood's voter turnout. 

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