Election 2016: Voters turn out in larger numbers as registration surges

A voter stood in line at a Sherman Oaks polling place Tuesday, slightly bewildered.

“This is refreshing,” she said. “I’m usually the only one here.”

But not on Tuesday.

Polling place workers were reporting decent tuout so far today across Los Angeles County for Califoia’s primary.

As of 2 p.m., about 20.15 percent of registered voters in the county had cast ballots, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office.

During the presidential primary four years ago, about 21.87 percent of those eligible to vote did so.

“Tuout is definitely better than average,” said Monica Flores, a spokeswoman for office. “We have good tuout so far. We do expect by end of day that it will be a little better than average.”

As interest in Califoia’s primary election has surged, so too has voter registration.

Nearly 18 million residents across the state are eligible to vote, a primary election record.

Voters across the state are casting ballots for presidential candidates, a new U.S. senator and in local races.

Elysse Crabtree registered as a Democrat so she could vote for Sen. Beie Sanders. She called him a unifier as she left a polling station in Orange County.

Hoai Le, a mechanic from Santa Ana, wasn’t wild about the choices. He was happy, however, to vote for Rep. Loretta Sanchez for Senate, citing her lengthy experience in Congress and in politics.

Califoia had a rare tu in the political spotlight this year, as Sanders and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton circled the state over the past few weeks.