November 1, 2007 - Slow times at election office

Paper: Modesto Bee, The (CA)
Title: SLOW TIMES AT ELECTION OFFICE
Date: November 1, 2007

The Wednesday before an election typically is a beehive of activity at the Stanislaus County election office. Not this year. While absentee ballots and returns from rural residents who vote only by mail are arriving, it's a trickle compared to years past. Through Wednesday, only about 18,000 ballots had been returned, Clerk- Recorder Lee Lundrigan said. Last year, nearly 31,000 had arrived by the same time. "It's been a very light turnout," she said. To be fair, odd-year elections in the county often are slower because the only mayor and city council races are in Modesto and Ceres. In both cities, the mayors ran unopposed this year and the council races haven't exactly galvanized public attention. There also are school board and irrigation district members to elect, but they also seem to be flying under the public radar. And there are no statewide propositions to get people excited. Last year, turnout in the county was 50 percent. Two years ago, it was 42 percent. And in 2003, it was 35 percent. At the current pace, it may not make it that high this time around. "It would be great to have more voters," Lundrigan said. "Much, much better."