Low Voter Turnout Reported for Municipal Election

Only 11.6 percent of voters turned out for the Los Angeles-wide election in which most incumbent City Council members easily retained their seats and nine out of 10 ballots measure were approved by voters, according to unoffical results released Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Clerk's Office.

Of the city's 1.6 million registered voters, 190,642 of them cast ballots. Fifty-six percent of voters went to the polls to lodge their vote, while 44 percent mailed in their choices.

The closest City Council race involved former Los Angeles Police Department chief and current City Councilman Bernard C. Parks who was trying to avoid a run-off with challenger Forescee Hogan-Rowles in Disrict 8. Parks had  50.89 percent of the ballots cast while Hogan-Rowles had 43.99 percent. A run-off election would be held May 17 if Parks can't hold onto at least 50 percent of the vote.

Proposition O, which would have placed a $1.44 per barrel tax on oil extracted within city limits, was the only one of the 10 ballot measures to fail, with 51 percent of voters against it and 49 percent favoring it. Voters in eight of the 15 city council districts voted against the measure. Voters in District 12 in the northwest San Fernando Valley came out strongly against the oil tax with 62 percent of voters opposing it.

The closest of the four school board races took place in District 5 where none of the candidates gained more than 50 percent of the vote. Luis Sanchez, an aide to board President Monica Garcia, had 45 percent of the vote and will face Bennett Kayser in a run-off. The other school board races involved incumbents who easily won.

Election results will not become official until a canvass is conducted and the results are certified, which must occur by March 29.

For all of the unofficial results download the attached .pdf from the Los Angeles City Clerk's Office.