Editor’s note: The data in the map below is current as of June 20. However, figures will likely increase as certain precincts continue to count mail-in ballots. The map will be updated accordingly. See the Secretary of State’s updated tally of uncounted ballots by county.
Bringing up the rear in this exhaustive presidential primary contest, the Golden State on Tuesday finally got its moment to shine.
Sort of.
Among the last six states to vote, California handed Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton a resounding victory over her opponent Bernie Sanders. (Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, won too, but that came as little surprise given his lack of competition.)
Clinton’s win in this state, which offered the biggest delegate payout, solidified her position as the presumptive Democratic nominee. It marks the first time in history that a major U.S. political party has chosen a woman as its standard bearer.
Nonetheless, voter turnout in California was pointedly low, as it often is during primary elections, although the rate has crept up in the days since the primary, as more last-minute and provisional ballots have been counted. As of June 20, ballots were cast by about 43 percent of registered voters, according to the Secretary of State. That count will likely increase slightly, as more mail-in ballots are verfied and counted.
Of course, the announcement by the Associated Press the day before the primary, that Clinton had effectively clinched the nomination, wasn’t exactly a motivating factor for the tepid voter.
Another factor contributing to low turnout, writes KQED reporter Katie Orr, is the lower-than-anticipated turnout among younger voters:
“According to Political Data’s analysis of about 3.1 million ballots returned to county registrars before Tuesday’s vote, voters under 35 made up just 10 percent of those who voted. That group makes up 25 percent of the state’s 17.9 million registered voters. In contrast, 68 percent of ballots returned came from voters over 55, who make up 41 percent of registered voters.”
Additionally, voter participation was low in many of California’s more populous counties, including Los Angeles (29.3 percent) and Alameda (30.5 percent).
The map below shows which counties supported Clinton and which favored Sanders. Note the northern-sourthern divide. The bottom map shows the results of every state contest in this oh-so-long 2016 primary season.