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What percentage of registered voters voted in last mayoral election in San Diego CA
Executive summary
Available official city election results show the San Diego mayoral general election was held November 5, 2024; a City of San Diego PDF of those results lists a turnout percentage of 11.50% for the mayoral race in the November 5, 2024 election (city document) [1]. Other reporting focuses on vote totals and who led in early returns but does not quote a different overall turnout figure in the provided sources [2] [3].
1. What the official city file reports: a strikingly low turnout number
The City of San Diego’s published November 5, 2024 election results document includes a line showing Registered Voters = 819,569 and Voters Cast = 94,266 for the CITY OF SAN DIEGO MAYOR line, with a Turnout (%) value shown as 11.50% in that document [1]. That City of San Diego PDF is the direct source in the result set for the specific turnout percentage you asked about [1].
2. How other provided local reporting framed the election (vote totals and early leads)
Local outlets in the provided collection emphasized the race outcome and early vote shares rather than an overall turnout percentage. inewsource reported early returns showing Mayor Todd Gloria with about 54.6% of the vote in early returns [2]. Fox 5 San Diego noted large numbers of outstanding ballots (about 140,000 still to be counted at one point) and quoted unofficial returns placing Gloria near 55% [3]. Those stories focus on vote shares and counting status, not on the final turnout percentage [2] [3].
3. Reconciling the numbers and what “turnout” likely means here
The City document’s turnout percentage (11.50%) appears to be derived from the voters cast and the registered-voter base printed on the same line: 94,266 votes cast out of 819,569 registered voters [1]. Available sources do not provide an alternative final turnout percentage for the mayoral contest in these documents, nor do they explain differences between the mayoral-line turnout and any countywide or statewide measures [1] [2] [3]. If you require a different turnout framing (e.g., total ballots returned in the county, or turnout for the March primary), those figures are not contained in the results and articles in the supplied set (not found in current reporting).
4. Questions that merit follow-up and potential sources to check
The low 11.50% figure is unusual for a November general election and raises follow-up questions: Was this line counting only in-person vote-center ballots, a subset of precincts, or a preliminary snapshot before outstanding ballots were tallied? The county Registrar of Voters site and the City’s “Past Election Information” or Final Canvass pages could clarify methodology and final certified turnout figures [4] [5] [6]. Those pages are in the provided results list but the specific turnout explanation text is not quoted in the supplied snippets [4] [5] [6].
5. Competing interpretations and what each implies
Interpretation A: Accept the City PDF’s 11.50% as the official mayoral-line turnout for the general election — this is straightforward but surprising for a November general election and suggests very low participation [1]. Interpretation B: Treat the 11.50% as possibly incomplete or context-dependent (e.g., a subset total or pre-certification number) because other reporting emphasized many outstanding ballots and evolving counts, implying the picture was still changing after Election Night [3]. The provided reporting does not explicitly refute the City PDF’s number, nor does it supply an alternate final turnout percentage [1] [3].
6. How I’d verify and where to look next
To confirm and fully contextualize turnout, check the San Diego County Registrar of Voters’ certified final canvass or the City of San Diego’s Final Canvass page that posts official, certified turnout and methodology (these pages are listed in the results list but the detailed certified turnout language is not in the supplied snippets) [4] [6] [5]. If county-certified totals differ from the City PDF line-item, those official canvass pages would resolve which is the final, certified turnout [4] [6].
Limitations: My analysis relies only on the documents and articles you provided. The City PDF explicitly shows 11.50% [1]; the local news pieces focus on vote shares and uncounted ballots [2] [3]. If you want, I can draft exact questions to submit to the Registrar of Voters or the City Clerk to resolve whether 11.50% is the final certified turnout or an interim/subset figure.