High turnout expected for election

<p>The June 8 election is right around the corner, and a slightly higher number of voters than usual is expected to weigh in on a number of high-profile races.</p><p>The Sonoma County registrar of voters estimates that the voter turnout will be about 57 percent. That number is a bit higher than the normal 50 percent turnout for primary elections due to important local races this year, including the 2nd District supervisor and district attorney races, said Janice Atkinson, Sonoma County's registrar of voters.</p><p>The higher number may also be due to the primary races for California's next governor, said Assistant Registrar of Voters Gloria Colter. “It's a wide-open field there,” she said.</p><p>In the heavily-watched primary for the 2nd District supervisor's seat, the four candidates have stepped up campaigning in the weeks before the vote. Pamela Torliatt has presented herself as the candidate with the government experience needed to address the county's budget problems. David Rabbitt says he will focus on kick-starting businesses to heal the economy and restore jobs. Mike Healy has touted his credentials as a political moderate who avoids partisan bickering. John King says he is the most rural-minded candidate, and proposes to audit the county to find and eliminate wasteful spending.</p><p>The district attorney's race between incumbent Stephen Passalacqua and challenger Jill Ravitch has been highlighted by accusations and controversy. The two battled for the same post in 2006, with Passalacqua winning by 1,700 votes. Ravitch, who once worked as deputy district attorney under Passalacqua, says that he could be more efficient in prosecuting cases. Passalacqua said that his decision to emphasize working with community organizations has proved successful during his time in office.</p><p>Five judicial candidates will square off to fill two county judge seats vacated by retiring judges. Judges Pat Broderick, James Patrick Casey and John LemMon are running for Sonoma County Superior Court judge in Office No. 2, and Chris Mazzia and Jamie Thistlethwaite are seeking the seat in Office No. 3.</p><p>On the Democratic ballot, Assemblymember Jared Huffman, elected in 2006, faces disabled advocate and radio host Patrick Connally for the party's nomination to run in November.</p><p>On the Republican ballot, retired college professor Michael Halliwell and Cotati business owner Jim Judd are facing off for the right to challenge Lynn Woolsey for her seat in Congress in November.</p><p>Also on the ballot are a number of statewide propositions.</p><p>Proposition 14 proposes to open up primaries so that all candidates run against each other, pitting the top two vote getters against each other in a runoff. If passed, all voters would re-ceive the same ballot and voter's options will not be determined by party registration.</p><p>Proposition 16 would require a two-thirds majority vote of the electorate before a public entity could enter the retail power business. </p><p>Proposition 15 would increase public financing of campaigns by assessing a fee on lobbyists and using the revenue for a pilot project that would fund the campaigns of those running for the office of secretary of state.</p><p>About 50,442 of the county's 246,800 voters are registered to vote in the 2nd District, said Atkinson. About 58 percent of voters in Sonoma County vote by mail, a program that has been more popular in recent years.</p><p>“We encourage voters to vote. It seems that if we send them a ballot, they vote more often,” said Atkinson. “If that's what it takes, we encourage it.”</p><p>Atkinson said that voters have been returning ballots at a slower rate than normal, and that Thursday is likely the last day that voters can mail ballots in order for them to be processed in time. The Registrar of Voters office can be reached at 565-6800.</p><p>(Contact Philip Riley at philip.riley@arguscourier. com)</p>