The 2020 presidential election is officially in the books in Los Angeles County, with officials certifying the results Monday.
In all, 76% of registered voters cast a ballot — up from 69% in the 2016 general election, but down from 82% in 2008, the first year Barack Obama was elected president, according to data from the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office.
With the state mailing a ballot to every registered voter for the first time due to the pandemic, nearly 80% of the 4.3 million ballots cast in L.A. County were mail-in votes.
Statewide, turnout stood at over 80% Monday evening. But not all counties have finished counting their votes, and more than a week remains until the state’s Dec. 11 deadline for counties to submit their certified results.
According to the preliminary results, L.A. County’s turnout falls behind at least 48 of the state’s 58 counties. Sonoma and Marin counties so far have the highest turnouts, both at 90%.
The large amount of mail-in votes and California’s election laws — which this year allowed mail ballots to be received as late as 17 days after the election — make for one of the nation’s slowest vote counts.
In L.A. County, some races were down to the wire. Democrat Christy Smith did not concede to incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Garcia for the 25th Congressional District seat north of L.A. until all the votes were counted Monday evening.
L.A. County supervisors are expected to declare the election officially concluded on Dec. 8.