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 election, 74.6 percent of registered voters are reported to have cast ballots - the highest since that 2008 election. The 2020 presidential election in Los Angeles County, however, can boast of the highest voting turnout of all eligible voters (more than 70 percent) since at least 1992.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Recall* | 6,038,668 | 5,690,406 | 2,516,735 | 2,937,395 | 85.7% | 51.6% | 48.6% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
| 1994 General | 4,620,158 | 3,665,868 | 377,460 | 2,147,678 | 17.6% | 58.6% | 46.5% |
| 1994 Primary | 4,620,158 | 3,550,877 | 197,824 | 1,128,308 | 17.5% | 31.8% | 24.4% |
| 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 |
| 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% |
* Results as of Oct. 1, 2:22pm. Eligible voters as of Aug. 30, 2021.
Source: California Secretary of State and Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
