[Editor’s Note: “Fresh Perspectives from Sacramento” is a periodic essay by the Democratic state Assemblyman who represents Culver City and the Crenshaw District.]

Dateline Sacramento – For the current Legislative session, I am proud to chair the Assembly Committee on Elections and Redistricting.

The position is important and relevant for several reasons. First, California is a leader in helping residents register to vote through programs such as Motor-Voter efforts at DMV offices.

Our state leads in protecting voter rights. We continue to seek ways to expand voter participation while some other states seek to undo voter protections.

We are not, however, without our own voting issues. Our state’s declining voter participation in elections is worrying.

No doubt we must find new ways to address the record low statewide voter turnout that was experienced in November. Only 42.2 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Nearly 60 percent cast ballots statewide in November 2010.

Troubling signs worsen when you consider the fact that African American voter turnout – a traditional stronghold in elections due to the legacy of the Voting Rights Act – has declined sharply.

The record low turnout shows that we have not done everything we can to ensure that every citizen becomes a voter when reaching age 18 and that every voter has equal access to the ballot box.

California is a leader in education, transportation and healthcare. It is time we showed our leadership in voting participation on Election Days.

I would like to see several improvements made in the voting process. Among those is improved language access, easier and quicker voter registration, easy to understand voter information, and voting options that accommodate the lifestyles of busy working people.
We are a diverse state with access to the latest technology.

We have no excuses. If California is going to lead our voting process into the second quarter of the 21st century, we need to be on the front line in the march to restore robust voter participation and on the cutting edge in terms of how we will cast our votes for the candidates and measures we favor or reject in the decades ahead.

I don’t have all the answers.

I have made a steadfast commitment, though, to finding solutions to our state’s growing problem of low voter turnout in elections.

Expanding partnerships with community groups, labor, business organizations and church congregations has been successful in Los Angeles County, particularly among African American voters.

By focusing efforts on populations that are less likely to participate in elections, we can encourage voter participation, increase voter knowledge of candidates and initiatives and persuade voters to cast ballots when Election Days arrive.