HOLLISTER
The fate of the victorious sales tax initiative Measure T may have been decided long before Tuesday’s election, according to the county’s unofficial tally.
That’s because more than half the ballots actually came from absentee voters, many of whom cast their votes before Tuesday. Experts said the importance of absentee ballots is increasing throughout the United States, but this may be the first local election where they made up the majority of votes.
“Voting by absentee ballots is a growing phenomenon in California and elsewhere,” said Jack Citrin, a political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s growing every election. It’s not surprising that it’s happening in your area as well.”
Assistant County Clerk Lillian Pereira said she can’t think of other San Benito County elections “off the top of my head” where absentee votes outnumbered those from the polling places.
“I would have to check that, but it definitely increases with every election,” Pereira said.
There was also a relatively sizable number of absentee ballots in November 2006, when Hollister residents rejected the identical Measure R. But the absentees were still outnumbered by voters who went to the polls, 54 percent to 46 percent. On Tuesday, absentee voters turned the tables, outnumbering precinct ballots 58 percent to 42 percent.
Hollister City Clerk Geri Johnson agreed that Tuesday could have been the first election dominated by absentee voters.
“I would guess so, simply because the turnout was so low,” Johnson said.
Citrin said one explanation for the shift could be the lack of a big race, such as 2006’s competition between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Phil Angelides, to draw voters to the polls. People who cast absentee ballots “tend to be regular voters,” so they’re more likely to turn out even in quiet elections, he said.
The county’s numbers show a smaller drop-off for absentee voters between 2006 and 2007, when turnout at polling places fell by 58 percent, but absentee turnout fell by only 31 percent.
Absentee voters have definitely become more important, said San Benito County Supervisor Pat Loe. When Loe saw the large number of voters in her district who had asked for absentee ballots in 2006, she decided to mail one of her fliers earlier.
“I will pay much greater attention to the absentee voters in the future,” Loe said.
She, however, still plans to vote in person.
“Well, we’re retired now,” Loe said. “When my husband and I were working, I did get absentee ballots. … This way you make sure you can vote.”
The county elections office has also released a final, unofficial tally for Tuesday’s race, including provisional and absentee votes.
With everything counted, voter turnout was 32 percent, up from the 26 percent previously released Tuesday night, but still well below the 55 percent turnout reported in 2006.
In the most recently tally – the last one before the official canvass is complete – Measure T was still ahead 66 percent to 34 percent.
