City primary to be held in March

In less than one month, Los Angeles city residents will take to the polls for the primary nominating election.

This year’s election will be held on Mar. 3 and will involve the positions of City Attorney, City Controller, and several city council districts, including Westwood’s district, as well as the mayoral race. Because of this, voter turnout will be higher in accordance with past trends, said Bernie Mariscal, public services supervisor for the Los Angeles Office of the City Clerk, Election Division.

“It’s traditionally in the 24s,” Mariscal said, referring to the percentage of voter turnout. “Sometimes, it’s higher or lower, like we had 30 percent in the past.”

In elections without the mayoral candidacy component, turnout is much lower, usually around 13 to 16 percent, Mariscal said.

Requirements for being a mayoral candidate are few.

An aspirant only needs to be a resident of Los Angeles for at least 30 days prior to submission of the declaration of intention to run for office, be a registered voter, and be at least 18 years of age. As a result, several mayoral candidates this year are young, Mariscal said.

Another element of interest in this year’s election is the availability of the positions of City Attorney and City Controller. There are no incumbents for either of these offices due to the two-term limit.

“We got a mad rush (of candidates) because they know it’s an open seat,” Mariscal said.

The ballot will also include candidates for the odd-numbered city council district seats, including UCLA’s district (Council District 5), the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education and the Board of Trustees.

Elections for city council district offices are staggered so that voters do not have to vote for each of the 15 district seats at one time. Thus, elections are held every two years; in this race only odd-numbered districts will be voted on and in 2011 only the even districts.

The boundaries for the council districts are determined by a redistricting commission, which presents a proposal to the City Council once every 10 years, according to the Los Angeles city charter.

Boundaries for Council District 5 extend from the 101 Freeway in the north to the 10 Freeway in the south. UCLA is located near the lower southwest portion of the district.

Residents must register to vote with the county of Los Angeles by Monday, Feb. 16, 15 days prior to the election. This can be done online at www.lavote.net. After this date, registration is closed.

This rule is in accordance with a statewide regulation that governs elections for cities, counties, and the state, Mariscal said.

In contrast to other elections, Los Angeles city elections are nonpartisan. This encourages voters to consider the merits and qualifications of the candidates rather than party affiliation, Mariscal said.

“It has always been this way,” he said.

To win, candidates need to have a majority of the vote. In terms of numbers, this majority is 50 percent plus one, Mariscal said.

“Anyone can have an effect on the election,” he said. “Results change dramatically based on who comes to vote.”

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