Only half of Barstow's eligible voters are registered

BARSTOW • Approximately 69 percent of Barstow’s 23,000 residents are eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, U.S. Census data shows. However, according to county records, only about 52 percent of those eligible voters are registered.
Forty-one percent of the 8,445 registered voters are Democrats in Barstow, with 29 percent registered as Republicans and 23 percent as non-partisan.
Felisa Cardona, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Elections Office, said that in 2008, 75 percent of registered voters in the county voted with 52.1 percent voting Democrat and 45.8 percent Republican.
“We’re expecting a lot of voters because it’s a presidential election,” she said.
In San Bernardino County, there are more than 800,000 registered voters with 38 percent as registered Democrat, 35 percent as Republicans, 0.5 percent as Libertarians and 20 percent as non-partisan voters. San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous United States by area, and is bigger than the smallest nine states in the U.S. The county’s population is approximately 2 million.
According to a recent Gallup poll, voter turnout for this election is expected to be lower than in 2004 and 2008.
Election day is Tuesday but registered voters in the county may cast an early ballot at the Hesperia Branch Library or San Bernardino County Elections office today, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information on candidates, legislation and polling locations, voters are encouraged to access the Voter Information Guide at www.SBCountyElections.com.