Shelley: Smooth Statewide Vote

Secretary of State Kevin Shelley says Tuesday´s recall election was one of the smoothest statewide votes in 20 years.

Shelley´s office projects yesterday´s turnout will top 60 percent of the state´s 15.3 million registered voters. That revises an earlier erroneous projection that turnout could be in the range of 65-to-70 percent.

A better estimate will be available later this week as counties begin reporting to the secretary of state, and the final number will be determined during the official canvass.

That compares to 71 percent in the November 2000 presidential election and 70 percent in 1982 gubernatorial election in which Republican George Deukmejian defeated Democrat Tom Bradley. California´s record turnout was 88-point-four percent in the 1964 presidential election.