County Officials Hopeful for Higher Voter Turnout

Shirley Braun has been a polling inspector at the Fair Oaks VFW for the past three years and it's the first time she can remember seeing a line outside the door to vote before the polls had actually opened.

"We had more than 100 voters in our first hour of polling," Braun said.

Braun explained it was a first to see a line outside the 8990 Kruitof Way VFW right at 7 a.m., which gave her hope more would continue to stream into hers and other local polling locations.

Indeed, Braun's sentiment seemed to echo a hope others across Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Sacramento County express being an even greater voter turnout than the 2008 presidential general election.

"We had 79 percent voter turnout (in 2008) and looking at the turnout today, huge, huge interest," said Assistant to the Registrar of Voters Alice Jarboe from the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections Department. Jarboe noted she is receiving reports from area precincts of long lines at polling locations.

Asked if she thought voter turnout would meet and/or exceed turnout in 2008, "I think it will," Jarboe said.

"We had a slow start here at this office," Jarboe said. "We're a vote-by-mail voting office here all day long and the slow part of the line has gotten where it was four years ago."

Jarboe explained reasons for potentially higher voter turnout numbers this time versus 2008 deal with similar issues as well as unique local issues.

"Four years ago was an interesting mix for president and we have another interesting mix again," Jarboe. "It's perhaps not the first time for an African American, but it looks to be the first time (in my memory) for someone running of the Mormon faith."

"While it may not be appropriate for me to say that, voters are thinking about that."

New Congressional and Assembly Districts are impacting locals' decision to vote, too, Jarboe said.

At Carmichael's Sacramento Metro Church of Christ at 6201 Winding Way, it is polling inspector John Quesada's fourth election as inspector and it's been a busy one for him, too.

"People are very passionate to get out and vote," he said.

Though turnout had been coming in sporadic waves, Quesada noted 262 area residents had already cast their vote by 2:30 p.m., which was 24 more than all of the 2012 primary.

That wasn't counting the vote-by-mail ballots, either. Quesada noted one box holding the mail-in ballots had already been filled.

Jarboe also noted a number of calls coming in from confused voters trying to figure out where to vote due to redistricting. Though their residence hadn't changed, their district had, she said.

"People are not aware that their district may have changed," she said. "They're used to always voting for a certain person in a certain number and now that person and number are not on their ballot."

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