Watch CBS News

$25,000 Cash Prize Offered To Boost Turnout In Los Angeles Schools Vote

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Unofficial election results show voter turnout was 8.5 percent in a Los Angeles school board district where a cash prize was offered in a bid to drive more people to the polls.

About 23,000 ballots were cast in Tuesday's election for a school board seat representing district 5, though more have yet to be counted, the Los Angeles City Clerk's office reported. Turnout in two other school board districts so far was 9.2 percent and 5.9 percent, the data shows.

The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project had offered a $25,000 cash prize drawing to voters in district 5 in an effort to improve turnout.

Antonio Gonzalez, the organization's president, said it's too soon to know whether the so-called Voteria sent more people to the polls, but he believes it did since turnout was expected to be lower.

Gonzalez said he wasn't initially a fan of the idea but after seeing dismal turnout in city elections in March, he decided to give it a shot. The drawing will be held after the election results are certified, he said.

Researchers who conducted exit polls on Voteria are expected to have results in a few weeks.

Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said he believes it had an effect. He had expected turnout in the district would hover around 7.5 percent.

 

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.