Seven days before Election Day for three City Council seats, the man who knows more about voting than anyone else in Culver City, was asked to predict next Tuesday’s turnout.
“No idea,” said City Clerk Martin Cole.
Surely the seemingly widespread interest will surpass the nearly invisible 14.2 percent who deigned to vote in the last Council election in 2014.
Off in corners, some observers are whispering that the number of absentee ballots submitted offers a turnout clue.
Not in the city clerk’s view. No correlation.
“I don’t believe the number of absentee ballots impacts the percentage of people who vote on Election Day,” said Mr. Cole.
For all of Culver City’s glowing reputation as a community of love, appreciation and most of all participation, a city that practically invented civic duty, eight out of nine residents are allergic to the polls on Election Day.
Eighty-six percent of eligible voters hugged their homes on Voting Day two years ago.
No reason to forecast improvement for one week from today.
