AP16:068
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2016
CONTACT:
Sam Mahood (916) 653-6575
Nearly 200,000 Online Voter Registrations or updates of Registration on Final Day
SACRAMENTO – There were nearly 200,000 voter registrations or registration updates through RegisterToVote.ca.gov yesterday. Californians had a midnight deadline to register to vote ahead of the June 7, 2016 Presidential Primary Election. This surge in activity pushed the total registration activity on the Secretary of State’s online voter registration website past the 1.8 million mark for the year, and it is only May.
“Yesterday, we saw the most online registration activity this year, and the second highest total in the nearly four-year history of the online registration site,” said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla.
“In a single day, 194,655 registrations or updates took place on California’s online voter registration website,” Secretary Padilla said.
“It couldn’t be clearer—Californians of all ages want to vote. It is exciting to see so much interest, particularly among young people. For many young people this will be their first time voting and that’s a great thing!” said Padilla.
Young Californians fueled the spike in online voter registrations. Californians ages 17-25 accounted for 42% of the registrations and updates to registration yesterday.
Last week a two day surge of nearly 200,000 completed transactions on the California Secretary of State’s online voter registration website occurred on Monday, May 16 and Tuesday, May 17. That spike coincided with a very effective effort by Facebook to facilitate voter registration in California on social media.
While the voter registration deadline has passed for the June 7, Primary Election, it is important for people to know that they can still register to vote for the November 8, 2016 General Election. Californians can register to vote at RegisterToVote.ca.gov.
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