NO-SHOWS `DISGUSTED'; IF 9.9% TURNOUT FIGURE HOLDS, IT WOULD STAND AS RECORD LOW.Byline: Rick Orlov and Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writers About 10 percent of the city's registered voters went to the polls Tuesday, a possible record-busting low turnout fanned by apathy, negativity and a dearth of closely contested races or issues. Turnout was better - about 16 percent - in the southwest San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and Westside 11th Council District where candidates Georgia Mercer and Cindy Miscikowski Cindy Miscikowski represented the 11th District on the Los Angeles City Council for two full terms from 1997 through 2005. Previously, she was an aide to Councilman Marvin Braude and the Executive Director of the Skitball Cultural Center in its beginning stages. battled for the City Council seat being vacated by longtime Councilman Marvin Braude Marvin Braude (August 11, 1920—December 7, 2005)served as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 11th district from 1965 to 1997. At various times Mr. Braude (pronounced BROW-dee) served as chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, the Environmental Quality and Waste . But, mostly, poll workers did a lot of yawning yawning a deep, involuntary inspiration with the mouth open, often accompanied by the act of stretching. Repeated yawning in the presence of other signs, may accompany signs of chronic abdominal pain or hepatic disease. . ``There's nothing to vote on. People are very disgusted,'' said Grace Vitale, who staffed a lonely precinct A constable's or police district. A small geographical unit of government. An election district created for convenient localization of polling places. A county or municipal subdivision for casting and counting votes in elections. PRECINCT. in Van Nuys where 27 of 570 registered voters bothered to show up by 7 p.m. to punch ballots in two college board races. ``Two little things to vote on and all this money in tax dollars,'' she said. Final turnout figures for the municipal election will not be available until today. But figures reported at 7 p.m. - the latest available - showed that only 9.92 percent of the 1.3 million registered voters went to the polls. In past years the final hour of an election increases turnout by 1 percent or 2 percent, officials said. The lowest runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. election turnout in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. was in 1989 when 11 percent of the city voters cast ballots. No race or issue captured big headlines ahead of Tuesday's election. Even the selection of the final seven candidates for an elected commission to rewrite the city's 72-year-old charter failed to draw people to the polls. Said Mayor Richard Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, U.S. who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003–2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993–2001. Riordan ran for Governor of California unsuccessfully in 2002. : ``It's sad we have such a low turnout. That's another reason we need a new charter. People feel so distant from their government.'' Richard Close of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association said he has come to believe the low turnout is a reflection of deep and ongoing dissatisfaction with government. ``People feel they do not make a difference and it's not worth going through the exercise of voting,'' Close said. ``People are turning away from government.'' With an estimated cost of $3 million to stage the city election - including 9,340 poll workers at the 2,335 precincts - the price tag per vote works out to about $21 to $23. Norman Weinhouse of Woodland Hills cast his ballot Tuesday out of civic duty - one of only 42 people in his precinct who did. ``I vote in every election,'' he said. ``I'm interested in the council district.'' Precinct workers said many Tarzana voters came to support the fire benefit assessment, but learned the issue was not on their ballots because they do not live in unincorporated areas. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO The only voter to show up during the lunch hour at Kester Avenue School punches his ballot Tuesday. Gus Ruelas/Daily News |
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