Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media??
So far, 82% of eligible voters in California registered to vote in the November general election, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced last week.
The voter registration report states that over 22 million voters have registered to vote, a slight decrease in the total number of voters that registered in the previous general in 2020. According to state data nearly half of the voters registered as Democrats, approximately 46%, as compared to nearly 24% who identified as Republican.
The report covers a period of 123 days, ending on July 5.
A growing number of voters selected that they had no party preference. Over 24 percent of voters preferred neither party.
Last month, Weber announced that the state mailed vital information to every voting household about the general election, including candidate statements. The state also provided information regarding the Voter Bill of Rights and official voter guide available in 10 languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, and Hindi, among others.
According to state data from all 58 counties, political affiliation varied by county revealing that the Democratic Party had a slight lead in major counties. The counties with the highest number of registered Democrats include San Francisco, Marin, Santa Cruz, and Alameda counties. While counties such as Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, and Tehama had the highest number of Republicans registered to vote.
Weber has pushed back on misinformation and conspiracy theories about the vote-counting process following the county election earlier this year. Weber’s office clarified that election results would be finalized 38 days after election day to certify the results.
“Doing it right takes precedence over doing it fast,” said Weber.
“The time taken to process ballots ensures voters’ rights and the integrity of the election,” she said.
