GRAY FINALLY HAS THEM MOTIVATED:

Record 10 million expected to vote (Jim Sanders, October 7, 2003, Sacramento Bee)

California's first gubernatorial recall election -- and the second in U.S. history -- is expected to attract more voters today than any previous non-presidential contest in this state's history.

Ten million voters are expected to cast ballots to decide the fate of Gov. Gray Davis, an increase of more than 2.2 million voters over last year's gubernatorial race, according to Field Poll estimates released Monday.

The poll projects a statewide turnout of 65 percent, a percentage not exceeded in a non-presidential race since 1982, when 69.8 percent of Californians cast ballots in a gubernatorial race that saw George Deukmejian beat Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. [...]

Ten million votes cast would top the most ever recorded in a California non-presidential race. The current high is 8.9 million for the 1994 re-election of Gov. Pete Wilson over Kathleen Brown.

Ten million will still be well under 50% of the eligible voters, but is a staggering increase from just 11 months ago, especially for a one race election that was unscheduled.

MORE:
-California election turnout among lowest in nation (ASSOCIATED PRESS, November 15, 2002)

Voter turnout in California's election last week ranked among the lowest in the nation, spurred by what critics called "a perfect storm" of uninspiring candidates and disenchanted voters.

"Absolutely everything was in place for a record low-turnout election," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Field Poll.

A new survey by the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate in Washington found that high-profile, competitive political contests tend to bring voters out to the polls. Minnesota and South Dakota, which featured close Senate races with national significance, posted the highest turnouts of more than 61 percent.

In California, only about 30 percent of the state's 21.7 million eligible voters even bothered to go to the polls, dropping it to 47th in state rankings for voter turnout. Only Virginia, Washington, D.C., Arizona and Washington state saw worse numbers.

-Facts and fiction about the California recall election (Daniel Weintraub, October 7, 2003, Sacramento Bee)

It has been only 76 days since the secretary of state officially certified the Gray Davis recall election for the ballot, but for many Californians, the march from July 23 to today has seemed like years. The campaign has been the strangest, most intensely watched, and potentially the most historic in the modern history of the state.
And like any historical event, the recall already has built up its share of myths -- stories or beliefs that often began with some kernel of truth but were misunderstood, exaggerated or distorted for political purposes. Here are a few:

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 7, 2003 6:29 PM