The 2014 Glendale Primary Election is now history and as expected there will be runoffs in all three Council districts – Cholla, Barrel and Ocotillo. How did the candidates fare?
In Cholla District the vote totals were:
- Lauren Tolmachoff 1,751
- Gary Deardorff 1,428
- Robert Petrone 531
- Van DiCarlo 400
Congratulations to Gary Deardorff and Lauren Tolmachoff who will face each other in the Glendale General Election in November. I will confess to being somewhat of a numbers nerd. Let’s dig a little deeper into the Cholla District.
- Total number of Early Votes Cast 3,467
- Total number of Poll Votes Cast 643
- Total number of Votes Cast 4,110
- Total number of Registered Voters 20,549
Lauren Tolmachoff garnered 8.5% of the total number of registered voters in the Cholla district. Twenty percent (20%) or 4, 110 of all the Cholla district registered voters bothered to vote. The rest of the candidate field took even smaller percentages of all the voters in this district.
Let’s look at the Barrel District:
- Bart Turner 862
- Randy Miller 831
- Reginald Martinez 660
- Michael Patino 439
- John Benjamin 263
Congratulations to Bart Turner and Randy Miller who will face each other in the Glendale General Election in November. Here’s how the numbers shake out for the Barrel district.
- Total number of Early Votes Cast 2,443
- Total number of Poll Votes Cast 612
- Total number of Votes Cast 3,055
- Total number of Registered Voters 16,457
Bart Turner captured 5% of the total number of registered voters in the Barrel district. Eighteen percent (18%) or 3,055 of all the Barrel district registered voters bothered to vote. The rest of the field took smaller percentages of all of the voters in this district.
Lastly, there is the Ocotillo District:
- Norma Alvarez 503
- Jamie Aldama 406
- Bud Zomok 225
- Michael Hernandez 158
Congratulations to Norma Alvarez and Jamie Aldama who will face each other in the Glendale General Election in November. Here are the numbers for the Ocotillo district.
- Total number of Early Votes Cast 1,031
- Total number of Poll Votes Cast 261
- Total number of Votes Cast 1,292
- Total number of Registered Voters 8,619
Norma Alvarez took 5% of the total number of registered voters in the Ocotillo district. Nine percent (9%) of all the Ocotillo district registered voters bothered to vote. The rest of the field took smaller percentages of all of the voters in this district.
These figures should be dismaying and disappointing. There are 45,625 registered voters in these three districts. Out of that number a total of 8,457 voted. That’s 18% of all of the registered voters in these districts. 82% of the electorate were so disengaged or didn’t care enough to vote.
There you have it. Voter choices will be among: an incumbent – Alvarez; community activists – Turner and Aldama; and 3 business people – Miller, Deardorff and Tolmachoff. Let’s hope, although do not count on it, that the voter turnout is better than during the primary. The primary vote totals are scary. It is not just your right to vote. It is your obligation. There are many people throughout the world who wish they had the very right so many callously squander. Remember, dear voter, you get what you vote (or don’t bother to vote) for.
© Joyce Clark, 2014
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