There is a stubborn meme going around regarding San Francisco voter turnout in our recent election. Having lived in this fair city for the last 22 years, I can tell you that we are not a complacent lot. It was to my great surprise then that on November 6th I read here in this comment here at DailyKos as well as others that somehow San Franciscans didn't turn out to vote in the numbers we would expect.
I did my duty to research and refute this assertion. But somehow this belief persists, and it is not a productive meme. Follow me below the fold for how this meme is persisting and why it matters.
I think I can fairly assert that we in San Francisco and Kossacks around the nation are upset and somewhat surprised that Proposition 8 passed here in California. i was shocked, and quite livid. I have many friends who are legally married and had to face November 5th with the question of what their legal status was going to be. Not to mention the huge gaping hole of having a right which was so ridiculously ripped away from those of us who might be married in the future but now cannot plan our lives around that certainty. I won't go into the personal aspect between my partner and I. Suffice to say that there are many more eloquent couples who have commented on marriage, and that is not my point in this diary. I've rallied my heart out since.
But this is more important than just me or my relationship's legal status. It is about how to overcome the status quo and issues regarding the strategy going forward in this fight. There is a belief, however wrong, that San Francisco and Los Angeles just didn't turn out to the polls for such an important election. This is far from the truth - here are the most recent results from San Francisco and from Los Angeles County
In the most recent issue of The Advocate, there are several important articles regarding Prop. 8. The Advocate has a spotty history of relevant reporting, sometimes seeming to focus more on fashion or the most recent straight actor playing gay. But the articles in this issue repeat the mistaken notion that turnout was low in SF and LA. Here is the LTE I sent them tonight calling them on sloppy reporting:
While I greatly appreciate the Advocate's reporting regarding the unfortunate passage of Proposition 8 in California, I must respond to correct an error and the resulting slant that was repeated more than once in the December 16th issue regarding voter turnout in San Francisco and Los Angeles counties. On page 31, Michael Joseph Gross ("Pride and Prejudice") stated that "according to figures available at press time, less than two thirds of registered voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles even bothered to show up to vote, because polls so unambiguously predicted Obama's win." This a false statement, and it could easily have been avoided prior to press time by checking with the respective county officials regarding the number of uncounted ballots. Not only is the statistic false, but the statement regarding Obama's predicted win is clearly conjecture unsupported by facts. Again on page 36, Ben Ehrenreich ("Anatomy of a Failed Campaign") repeats the assertion that "even worse, in an election marked by record turnout, less than two thirds of registered voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles went to the polls." This is followed by a supposed "explanation" where "Kors and Jean suggest that voters may not have bothered trudging to their polling places once it was clear that Obama had won." Again, a false "explanation" is given based on erroneous data.
On November 5th, I also saw this assertion made on several blogs that I frequent, but even then I was able to refute these allegations by simply researching the number of uncounted ballots included in the tallies for each county. The actual turnout figures at this time are 81.1% for San Francisco City and County (with 75% voting a resounding no) and 81.9% for Los Angeles County (a yes margin of less than 0.08%).
This is simply lazy reporting and false conjecture that could easily have been avoided (even with your press deadlines) with a phone call or even rigorous online checking, and is an affront to the passion of the electorate in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Clearly our efforts need to expand to change the minds of voters statewide. We cannot depend on a better turnout in the next election cycle to overcome the deficit. The turnout was there in both LA and SF. We were not complacent, and I am sure those that voted yes will still be there the next time if we don't make more of an effort to bridge the gap.
I think this letter speaks for itself. It echoes what others in the community are also pointing out. We must build bridges and educate if we are to realize our goal of attaining legal marriage in California, and indeed, in other states across the country. We cannot rest and expect "higher turnout" to rescue us. The turnout was there. We must change minds. Time is on our side here, as polls show that those under 30 agree with us. Let's hasten the inevitable. But in the meantime, facts are important.
Update: I should give props to Kos for the age cohort polling. Here's the future!