Los Angeles County Vote Center at Staples Center, 2020 - Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Twitter
Since 1992, the highest turnout of registered voters for a presidential election in Los Angeles County was for the 2008 election between Barack Obama and John McCain. Then, 78.4 percent of registered voters turned out. For the 2020 presidential election, 74.6 percent of registered voters were reported to have cast ballots - the highest since that 2008 election. The 2020 election in Los Angeles County, however, had the highest voting turnout of all eligible voters (more than 70 percent), since at least 1992.
The highest turnout by registered Los Angeles County voters for a mid-term election (the final count for the 2022 General Election is still pending) was the 2018 General Election. Then, 57 pecent of registered L.A. County voters cast a ballot.
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 General* | 6,663,965 | 5,601,835 | 1,968,976* | 2,456,203* | 80.2%* | 43.9%* | 36.9%* |
| 2022 Primary | 6,677,886 | 5,690,637 | 1,371,722 | 1,620,593 | 84.7% | 28.5% | 24.3% |
| 2021 Recall† | 6,038,668 | 5,690,406 | 2,522,568 | 2,943,340 | 85.7% | 51.7% | 48.7% |
| 2020 General | 6,129,494 | 5,813,333 | 3,424,426 | 4,338,191 | 78.9% | 74.6% | 70.8% |
| 2020 Primary | 6,184,428 | 5,546,785 | 1,141,594 | 2,122,469 | 53.8% | 38.3% | 34.3% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 2018 General | 6,230,147 | 5,306,704 | 1,350,313 | 3,023,417 | 44.7% | 57.0% | 48.5% |
| 2018 Primary | 6,216,686 | 5,149,461 | 665,075 | 1,490,502 | 44.6% | 28.9% | 24.0% |
| 2016 General | 6,222,266 | 5,253,427 | 1,283,648 | 3,544,115 | 36.2% | 67.5% | 57.0% |
| 2016 Primary | 6,199,606 | 4,909,904 | 722,079 | 2,026,068 | 35.6% | 41.3% | 32.7% |
| 2014 General | 6,096,320 | 4,897,915 | 577,023 | 1,518,835 | 38.0% | 31.0% | 24.9% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 2014 Primary | 6,076,302 | 4,857,424 | 400,694 | 824,070 | 48.6% | 17.0% | 13.6% |
| 2012 General | 5,976,156 | 4,758,437 | 975,828 | 3,236,704 | 30.2% | 68.0% | 54.2% |
| 2012 Primary | 5,959,291 | 4,459,268 | 431,811 | 973,274 | 44.4% | 21.8% | 16.3% |
| 2010 General | 5,823,294 | 4,449,415 | 678,651 | 2,377,105 | 28.6% | 53.4% | 40.8% |
| 2010 Primary | 5,804,922 | 4,352,711 | 369,499 | 1,021,448 | 36.2% | 23.5% | 17.6% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 2008 General | 5,775,838 | 4,298,440 | 810,222 | 3,368,057 | 24.1% | 78.4% | 58.3% |
| 2008 Primary | 5,712,484 | 3,963,780 | 482,921 | 2,183,998 | 22.1% | 55.1% | 38.2% |
| 2006 General | 5,708,463 | 3,914,138 | 531,383 | 2,033,119 | 26.1% | 51.9% | 35.6% |
| 2006 Primary | 5,691,552 | 3,839,483 | 314,824 | 1,050,076 | 30.0% | 27.4% | 18.5% |
| 2004 General | 5,656,610 | 3,972,738 | 521,004 | 2,710,280 | 19.2% | 77.7% | 54.6% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 2004 Primary | 5,628,181 | 3,682,950 | 252,444 | 1,251,521 | 20.2% | 37.5% | 24.5% |
| 2003 Recall† | 5,602,765 | 3,996,700 | 515,137 | 2,203,838 | 23.4% | 55.1% | 39.3% |
| 2002 General | 5,513,142 | 3,976,189 | 303,207 | 1,690,101 | 17.9% | 44.9% | 32.4% |
| 2002 Primary | 5,596,320 | 4,140,740 | 218,976 | 1,070,65 | 20.5% | 25.9% | 19.1% |
| 2000 General | 5,367,115 | 4,075,037 | 540,183 | 2,720,067 | 19.9% | 68.0% | 51.6% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 2000 Primary | 5,354,117 | 3,808,488 | 316,882 | 1,836,153 | 17.3% | 48.2% | 34.3% |
| 1998 General | 5,221,673 | 3,854,817 | 407,776 | 2,058,862 | 19.8% | 53.4% | 39.4% |
| 1998 Primary | 5,192,309 | 3,772,592 | 285,532 | 1,450,126 | 19.7% | 38.4% | 27.9% |
| 1996 General | 4,517,259 | 3,857,805 | 396,033 | 2,505,790 | 15.8% | 65.0% | 55.5% |
| 1996 Primary | 4,509,175 | 3,620,677 | 257,359 | 1,346,358 | 19.1% | 37.2% | 29.9% |
| Election | Persons Eligible to Vote | Persons Registered to Vote | Mail Ballots Cast | Total Votes Cast | Mail Ballot Percentage of Votes | Turnout of Registered Voters | Turnout of Eligible Voters |
| 1994 General | xxx | xxx | xxx | xxx | 17.5% | 31.8% | 24.4% |
| 1994 Primary | 4,620,158 | 3,550,877 | 197,824 | 1,128,308 | 17.5% | 31.8% | 24.4% |
| 1992 General | 5,601,005 | 3,744,096 | 388,795 | 2,831,077 | 13.7% | 76.6% | 50.6% |
| 1992 Primary | 4,924,912 | 3,338,914 | 226,130 | 1,612,673 | 14.0% | 48.3% | 32.8% |
| 1990 General | 5,529,883 | 3,487,180 | 270,645 | 1,925,811 | 14.1% | 55.2% | 24.8% |
| 1990 Primary | 5,514,586 | 3,402,509 | 177,295 | 1,283,079 | 13.8% | 37.7% | 23.4% |
* As of Dec. 2, 3:04 p.m. Ballot curing allowed through Dec. 3. Final certification on Dec. 5, 2022.
† California Gubernatorial Recall Election
Source: California Secretary of State and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
