Election Day today for two valley cities
Desert Sun staff reports

Hundreds of Coachella Valley voters today will choose leaders for their cities and water districts while deciding whether to alter their utility taxes.

Only two of the nine Coachella Valley cities will elect leaders today.

Desert Hot Springs residents will elect their mayor and two City Council members while Palm Springs chooses two council members.

Those living in the Desert Water Agency and Mission Springs Water District jurisdictions also will choose water board leaders.

Voters in Coachella and Palm Springs will consider changes to their utility users taxes.

Only 21 percent of those eligible to vote in Riverside County elections are expected to do so, said Barbara Dunmore, the county's Registrar of Voters.

And more than half of the absentee ballots have already come in by mail, she said. Those results likely will be posted online just after the polls close at 8 p.m. today, with final results expected by about midnight.

Dunmore said she doesn't have a crystal ball but foresees the low turnout after looking at historical trends.

With an odd-year election without statewide issues, the 21 percent turnout seems likely, she said.

“It shouldn't be much different,” she said. “In November '03, it was 18 percent, so we're hoping it will be up from there.

“We encourage the voters to turn out and take their sample ballots with them so they can mark their ballots easily and quickly,” she said.

The county should conclude the ballot counting by midnight, she said. Results should be posted every hour or so, Dunmore said.

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