I attended a webinar hosted by the Secretary of State which included speakers like Shirley N Weber, Kim Todd, Sarah Brar, Steven Carda and others. As the March 5th Primary election is around the corner, they wanted to ensure registered and/or future registered voters get all the information we need and that we are aware of how much information we have access to receiving.
The 2024 primary election ballot will hold one statewide proposition, US presidential candidates, US senate full term candidates and US senate partial/unexpired term candidates.
Along with the ballot there will also be a voter guide! The voter guide is an extremely important and useful part of the voting process as it includes information that can help inform your decision making about candidates and propositions.
In the guide you will find summaries that will list three people and their stance on proposed legislation. In addition to an official title of the proposed legislation and summary, you will find a discussion on state bonds, an analysis which includes overview and background about the current law and what the new proposal is, where the money will be spent if passed, and proposed law text. You will also find candidate statements from both full term and partial/unexpired with their photos (not reflective of secretary of state). Presidential candidates’ statements are not on the ballots but can be found on electionresults.sos.ca.gov. Individual counties will send a separate voter information guide which includes details about US congressional candidates, state senate and assembly candidates, along with information about city and county-wide measures and candidates.
How can you get your voter guide?
If you are a registered voter, you will get your voter guide in your preferred language sent to your mailing address by February 20th. You can also access the voter guide at voterguide.sos.ca.gov. Guides will also be available at polling locations but if you need a different version and do not have access to a computer to view the guide digitally, you can call the hotline listed in the mailed guide as it will redirect you to someone who can help you obtain the most appropriate alternative of the guide. These alternatives include CD versions, mp3 versions, large print versions and more.
I think the voter guide is one of the most useful tools the state of California is providing registered voters! If you are not yet registered to vote, no worries! You have until February 20th to register online but you can also register in person the day of (March 5th) at your local or nearest polling location (SSU has a polling location in the Casentino Room in Tuscany). I learned a lot about the importance of the guide; it informs voters of things they wouldn't otherwise have easy access to or know about since people can get very busy and might not look into voter information until this guide. I believe because some people are so busy or are not sure where to find all the information in regards to the election that this guide will be such a useful tool as it is a very convenient and quick method on getting informed on candidates, measures, propositions, etc.and that is great! That is what the guide is for! Voting is our voice!