Case study: Voter turnout flounders in Sacramento primaries
Note: This post was originally published in 2023 and was updated in 2025 to reflect information from Sacramento’s 2024 elections.
Sacramento, California has a voter-turnout problem. Turnout in its primaries is much lower than in its general elections, and the primary electorate is less representative of Sacramento’s population – underrepresenting young voters, voters of color, and renters. Sacramento could solve this problem by consolidating its elections into a single, high-turnout contest with ranked choice voting.
Right now, primary elections in Sacramento are especially consequential because of the city’s contingent runoff system: When primaries produce a majority winner, no general election is held, meaning the election is determined by just the small and unrepresentative group of primary voters. For example, three of the four City Council seats in 2024 elected a winner in March, not November. This was also true for the 2016 and 2020 mayoral elections.
Voter turnout gap by age
The difference in turnout rates between primary and general elections is greatest among young voters. In 2024, voters under 45 made up only 30% of the primary electorate, but 44% of the general electorate. Young voters were similarly underrepresented in primaries in 2020 and 2022.
Turnout gap by race and ethnicity
White voters are overrepresented in Sacramentos primary elections, comprising 58% of primary voters in 2024 but just 50% of general election voters. The groups who were most underrepresented in 2024 primaries, relative to their participation in the general election, are Latino voters and Asian American voters.
Turnout gap between homeowners and renters
Homeowners are more likely to vote in both the primary and the general election, while rentars are less likely to turn out in the primary. This means homeowners make up a larger portion of the electorate in primary elections. In 2024, homeowners made up 71% of primary voters but only 62% of general election voters. Renters are underrepresented in primaries.
Conclusion
Renters and young voters typically have lower turnout rates than other voters. In primary elections, they are even more underrepresented. Sacramento’s contingent runoff system means that many voters never weigh in on candidates at all if there is a majority winner in the low-turnout primary. Even when a general election occurs, those general election candidates were chosen by a non-representative group of voters, leaving general election voters with fewer choices.
Sacramento could take a significant step toward closing its turnout gap by consolidating its elections to a single round in November, when candidates would face a larger and more diverse electorate. Ranked choice voting has achieved exactly that in nearby San Francisco, Oakland, and dozens of other cities across the country.
This is part 3 in a series on contingent runoffs in California. See part 1 here for an exploration of voter turnout trends in San Jose, and part 2 here for an analysis of trends in San Bernardino.
