Hillary, Bernie and even the Donald were creating a lot of voter interest in Los Angeles County during Tuesday’s balloting.
By mid-afternoon, the percentage turnout number was greater than the turnout for the entire day during the last presidential primary election in California four years ago.
As of 4 p.m., the latest time that information was available, about 25.78 percent of registered voters in Los Angeles County had cast ballots, according to the county registrar-recorder’s office. Four years ago, the total percentage of registered voters casting ballot for the entire day when the polls closed at 8 p.m. was 21.87 percent.
There are more voters registered this time around, with just fewer than 4.8 million by the end of May. Four years ago that number was just a bit greater than 4.45 million.
Nevertheless, a fiery election campaign season appeared to be bringing far more voters to the polls than four years ago.
But despite a huge push in the final days before voting in California by both Democratic presidential candidates, it’s not clear if the results will have much meaning.
The night before voting began, The Associated Press reported that Hillary Clinton had already amassed sufficient delegate votes to clinch the nomination — regardless of the Golden State outcome.
Nevertheless, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will look to make a strong showing Tuesday as California voters head to the polls, with the Vermont senator saying a high turnout will propel him to victory in the state over Hillary Clinton.
Sanders has repeatedly insisted he will take his campaign all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia even if Clinton collects the delegates needed to become the presumptive nominee. He is pinning his hopes on “superdelegates,” who the senator says could change their votes and throw their support behind him.
Those chances may be slim, but Sanders is hoping a strong showing in California will provide him with valuable momentum heading to Philadelphia.
“The energy and the grassroots activism in this campaign is with us, not Hillary Clinton,” Sanders said Monday in Northern California.
Sanders has been barnstorming across California in recent weeks, calling for a “political revolution,” higher wages and improved benefits for workers.
“A moral economy is not an economy where CEOs make tens of millions of dollars a year, ship our jobs abroad and take away health care from their workers,” he said at a recent rally.
While Sanders appears to be a popular choice among young voters, he is fighting an uphill battle against the Clinton juggernaut. As of Monday, one count showed Clinton was only about two dozen delegates shy of the 2,383 needed to claim the Democratic presidential nomination. She could easily earn those needed delegates when polls close in New Jersey and ballots are tallied — while Californians are still voting.
The Associated Press reported late Monday that based on a survey of superdelegates, Clinton had already earned the required number of delegates to claim the Democratic nomination. Clinton’s campaign reacted quickly on Twitter, thanking the AP for the report, but saying she is still focused on winning the remaining primaries to secure the nomination.
Sanders said nothing is final until superdelegates cast their votes at the convention.
“Secretary Clinton does not have and will not have the requisite number of pledged delegates to secure the nomination,” Sanders said in response to the AP report. “She will be dependent on superdelegates who do not vote until July 25 and who can change their minds between now and then.”
Clinton has also been actively campaigning across California in recent weeks, also hoping to make a strong showing, but she has been all but ignoring Sanders recently — already beginning her anticipated general election battle with Donald Trump.
“We also believe that California represents the future, and it’s a bright future, a positive future,” she said during a Monday rally in Lynwood. “I am tired of Donald Trump insulting Americans. I am tired of Donald Trump talking down America.
“I am confident and optimistic about our future, but we’re going to have to do some things — like elect the right person to be president of the United States,” she said.
Clinton wrapped up her California campaign blitz Monday night with a star-studded concert at the Greek Theatre featuring Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Andra Day, Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera.
Sanders did the same in Northern California, appearing at an evening concert at San Francisco’s Crissy Field with recording artist Dave Matthews among the performers and actors Danny Glover and Shailene Woodley among the speakers.
The California primary, which is often a political after-thought in presidential campaigns due to its late date, was envisioned this year as finally having an impact on the election. But that was when the Republican campaign was in full swing, with Trump continuing to do battle with Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
With both Cruz and Rubio dropping out, Trump became the presumptive nominee. Sanders’ late run in the primary has added interest in the California race on the Democratic side, with both candidates painting themselves as the best person to defeat Trump in November.
But with Clinton likely to officially claim the nomination before California polls even close, the election could wind up solely helping Sanders decide whether to keep his campaign alive.
Trump has vowed to make a strong run at California during the November election — despite the state’s traditional Democratic leaning.
—City News Service