USC report: Fewer people of color turned out to vote in California in 2024
Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!
TURNOUT DROPPING
Voter participation in California’s 2024 election saw a notable decline, widening existing gaps, according to a USC Price School of Public Policy report. Following the historically high voter turnout in 2020, the 2024 election experienced a 5 percentage point drop.
The decline in turnout was particularly significant among voters of color, also categorized in registered voters who cast a ballot in 2020 but not in 2024.
25% of Latino registered voters who participated in 2020 did not vote in 2024.
21% of Asian American registered voters who participated in 2020 did not vote in 2024.
19.6% of Black registered voters who participated in 2020 did not vote in 2024.
About 16 million voters, or 62% of all eligible voters in California cast a ballot in the 2024 general election. Sacramento County fell just below the California percentage at 61%, or about 660,000 votes cast.
Vote decline also correlated with age. Younger age groups saw larger voter drop-offs between the 2020 and 2024 elections compared to their older counterparts. The age group 18 to 24 saw a 7.7 percentage point drop while those 65 and older saw a 2.2 percentage point drop.
“Sadly, participation in our democracy continues to be low and disparate across the board, and even more significant for voters of color and youth voters. We need to do more to build trust and engagement in our electoral processes to reverse this trend,” Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, said in a statement.
TENANTS’ RIGHTS
Via Molly Gibbs
Amid a federal “inhumane campaign of mass deportation,” Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert reminding Californians that housing discrimination against immigrants is illegal.
A press release from the California Department of Justice, announcing the alert, outlined the laws that prevent landlords in the state from discriminating against tenants by threatening to disclose their immigration status to immigration officials.
“California tenants — no matter their immigration status — have a right to safe housing,” Bonta said in the release.
Laws against housing discrimination and landlord retaliation and ones requiring landlords to make lease documents available in various languages also protect undocumented immigrants throughout the state. Landlords that violate the law may be forced to repay tenants.
Advice for landlords was also part of the consumer alert. If immigration enforcement officers ask a landlord for tenant information, the DOJ suggests they ask to see a warrant and seek legal counsel to ensure they don’t violate any laws. Landlords, it clarified, should not physically interfere with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers or operations.
A Spanish translation of the consumer alert is available alongside the English version. The DOJ asked residents to send complaints or tips related to housing discrimination to housing@doj.ca.gov.
“I will use the full force of my office to go after those who seek to take advantage of California tenants during an already challenging time,” Bonta said.
MEDIA INTIMIDATION?
Via Molly Gibbs
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. appeared on the The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Thursday — the same day it was announced the show will stop airing in May of next year.
In an interview filmed before Schiff knew about the cancellation, he spoke about the culture of fear the Trump administration is building.
“He wants to make news organizations, CBS and Paramount, afraid. He wants to make ABC afraid,” Schiff said. “And he has succeeded.”
On Monday night, Schiff took to X, via pre-recorded video to discuss the cancellation and what he thinks it means for the media at large.
“What is being sacrificed here,” he said, “is the freedom of the press.”
The cancellation came shortly after CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, said they would pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump. The suit alleged they had hurt Trump’s presidential prospects by unfairly editing an interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris that aired on “60 Minutes”.
In a recent segment, Colbert threw shade at the company’s decision to settle the nuisance lawsuit.
“I believe this kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles,” Colbert said on his show last week. “It’s, big fat bribe.”
Colbert’s bribery claim stems from the fact that Paramount is in the middle of trying to secure regulatory approval from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission for a merger with Skydance Media. The companies need the FCC’s approval because the merger, valued at $8 billion, would involve the transfer of broadcasting licenses.
“Donald Trump is using the power of the presidency,” Schiff said. “To extort these media companies into paying him off.”
In a call to action, Schiff asked media companies to stand up for the First Amendment and called on everyday residents to hold media companies and their owners accountable.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I don’t understand politicians; they all should form one big huge rock band and see how they play,”
— Ozzy Osbourne, heavy metal musician, in 2020 on Good Morning Britain
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