Get out and vote: A lot is at stake today
WE RECOMMEND
The six propositions on the May 19 special-election ballot.
Prop. 1A: Two-year extension of emergency taxes/"rainy day" fund/spending cap. YES
Prop. 1B: Education funding. YES
Prop. 1C: Lottery-based borrowing. YES
Prop. 1D : Diverting children's services funding. YES
Prop. 1E: Diverting mental health services funding. YES
Prop. 1F: Elected officials' salaries. YES
The outcome of today's election might not affect Californians' lives quite to the extent of last November's presidential election, but it'll be closer in importance than many might imagine.
The California ballot contains just six questions: Propositions 1A through 1F, interrelated measures all dealing with the state's battered, increasingly upside-down budget.
State election officials expect statewide turnout to be among the lowest in California history -- a possibility that makes the voice of those who do vote that much more significant.
With campaign fatigue still evident among many Californians, no divisive or charismatic personalities on the ballot, and no emotionally charged issues up for consideration (think Prop. 8), it's understandable why turnout is considered likely to slip from recent highs.
"This is not the type of election that energizes new voters," Mark Baldassare, head of the Public Policy Institute of California, told the San Francisco Chronicle last week. "In our polling, we found that 3 out of 10 people were likely to vote Tuesday, which likely means a low turnout."
It's typical for special elections to have meager turnouts, and budgetary issues, as important as they are, are among the least inspiring. The poorest turnout in state history, Gov. Pete Wilson's 1993 plebesite asking for a half-cent sales tax increase, drew just 36 percent of registered voters. California should be so lucky this time.
Early indications suggest that Kern County turnout will be dismal. As of mid-day Monday, just 39.45 percent of Kern County vote-by-mail and other early-issued ballots had been returned to the local elections office. Based on the early balloting, turnout was at 16.78 percent, which is also low.
"Early on, I was hearing a lot of strong feelings (about these propositions), which had me thinking it might be OK," said Chief Deputy Registrar Karen Rhea. "But the turnout (so far) just doesn't reflect that." She is predicting turnout "in the low 30s" but is hopeful that she'll be surprised.
California now has about 17.1 million registered voters, down from the all-time registration high of 17.3 million in November. The percentage of people who are eligible to vote, and are registered, is at 73.4 percent, compared to 70.7 percent when California had its last statewide special election in November 2005.
Those numbers might have put elections officials in an optimistic frame of mind if not for other indicators that point in the opposite direction.
If there's a silver lining, it's this: Your vote will probably be worth more than in any election in recent memory. So, whatever your feelings about these particular issues, vote.
