ORANGE COUNTY AND THE PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
The latest Times poll shows Bill Clinton running neck and neck with George Bush in Orange County. If Clinton were to win, it would be the first victory here by a Democratic presidential candidate since Franklin Delano Roosevelt took 55% of the vote in 1936. Republicans would have to cross party lines, as they are a majority of the county’s voters.
O.C. Party Registration There are 1,240,778 voters registered for Tuesday’s election. Republican: 52% Democratic: 34% Independent: 10% Other parties: 3%
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Nov. 4, 1992 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday November 4, 1992 Orange County Edition Metro Part B Page 2 Column 2 Metro Desk 1 inches; 28 words Type of Material: Correction
Presidential graphic--A chart Sunday incorrectly reported political party registration in California. The 1992 statewide registration was 49.1% Democratic, 37.0% Republican and 13.9% other.
Top Republican Cities Percent of registered voters Villa Park: 72.2% Newport Beach: 65.7% Yorba Linda: 61.5% Laguna Hills: 59.7% San Juan Capistrano: 58.3%
Top Democratic Cities Percent of registered voters Santa Ana: 52.4% Stanton: 47.4% Buena Park: 44.2% Garden Grove: 42.7% Los Alamitos: 41.0%
Top Independent Cities Percent of registered voters Laguna Beach: 13.0% Irvine: 12.8% Laguna Niguel: 12.4% Lake Forest: 12.2% Laguna Hills: 11.9%
NOTE: Independents are those declining to state a party preference
STATEWIDE VITAL STATISTICS
Big Parties Lose Voters
The percentage of Californians registered as Democrats or Republicans dropped this year while those registered as independents or with minor parties caused “other” to hit a new high. ’92 Republicans: 52.3% Democrats: 34.5% Other: 13.2%
Registration Rate Dips
Nearly 6 million California voices will go unheard Election Day because only 70% of the state’s eligible voters have registered. It’s the lowest registration rate since the 1976 presidential election. Percent registered ‘92: 72.5%
Turnout Has Dropped
In the 1964 presidential election, nearly all the state’s registered voters cast ballots. In 1988, only three out of four cast ballots. Orange County’s turnout trend over the years is nearly identical to the state’s, seen below. ‘88: 72.8%
How Votes Get Counted
On Tuesday, ballots will be moved physically and digitally from more than 1,800 polling places in Orange County to computers in Sacramento.
1) From the Voting Booth Voters sign in, get ballot cards, enter booths to mark votes.
2) To the Ballot Box Ballots are dropped into sealed box. Empty box is shown to first voter before it is sealed.
3) After Polls Close Ballots are put into smaller boxes that are signed and sealed by workers. These boxes and other materials are put into large boxes for transport by workers.
4) Collection Centers Boxes are taken from polls to 22 collection centers across the county. From there, county drivers accompanied by sheriff’s deputies deliver them to the registrar of voters in Santa Ana.
5) Counting the Votes Ballots are fed into vote-counting machines. Results are transmitted electronically every half an hour to Sacramento; bulletins are issued to media and the public.
Ballot Puncher
Votes are cast in Orange County by punching holes with a small machine on cards printed with measures and candidate names. Punch cards are the most popular balloting method in the state.
SOURCES: 1936 through 1988 California Statements of Vote; American Votes; America At The Polls 2; Orange County registrar of voters; California secretary of state; UCI government publications; Newport Beach Public Library
Researched By DANNY SULLIVAN / Los Angeles Times
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