Are you ready for Election Day?
Tuesday?
November 2, 2010?
First, you must be registered to vote, and know where to cast your ballot.
If you've not registered, it's too late to vote in this election... but get yourself to the nearest County Elections Office ASAP, so that you can make your voice heard and be an active participant in our democracy in the NEXT election!
Not sure if you are registered to vote in the November 2010 election? Use the Voter Registration Look-Up feature offered by the SB Assessors Office.
OK, you are ready to cast your vote. Do you know where your polling place is? Find out using this convenient Polling Place Look-Up. Polls are open from 7am-8pm on November 2, 2010. (Alternatively, call the toll-free Voter Hotline at (800) 345-VOTE (8683))
Getting To Know The Issues:
Maybe the first place to start getting familiar with the issues on the ballot is to have a look at the General Elections Guide. This is usually a thick booklet that arrives in the mail. Don't have one? Don't worry! You can get this information (and more!) online!
A list of all of the propositions on the November 2, 2010 ballot can be found on (the FABULOUS!) Secretary of State's General Election Website, under Propositions. (Each of the propositions listed on this page is actually a link.)
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Once you find a proposition you would like to know more about click on it to get a Summary of what the law is about. This summary will give you a great overview of what the law is about, how it came to be on the ballot, who opposes it and who supports it, and why. Let's look at the summary of Prop 19:
You may read the summary, learn about the pro and con arguments and feel like you've gotten enough information to make your decision. But maybe not. Perhaps you read something in the arguments that raised some questions. Perhaps you would like to see the law for yourself. YOU ARE IN LUCK!
The general election guide has a sidebar for each proposition, that will lead you to even more information:
You may wish to read the Analysis, which is done by the California Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO). The LAO is a non-partisan office, made up of 43 analysts and 13 support staff. Their job is to present as unbiased an analysis as possible.
For those who really want to see what the law looks like, the full text of the proposed law can be viewed from a link on the sidebar, too. (Just so you know... the California Code can be found online. Go straight to the website, or just Google the Article and Chapter numbers of the law you are curious about. Same story for Federal law.)
If you would like to explore both sides of the issue, check out the websites listed by the supporters and opponents of each proposition.
Getting To Know the Candidates:
The Secretary of State's Office has a similar page for candidates. Each candidate has a website and an email address.
The Secretary of State's Office has a similar page for candidates. Each candidate has a website and an email address.
Other Ways To Get Informed:
League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara takes a non-partisan stance and encourages an informed and active participation in our democracy. (Yes, the League of Women Voters ROCKS!)
From Mashable.com: 17 Web Resources to help you decide on election day.
Get out an Rock YOUR Vote!!!
