It's nearly a month till election day, but Tuesday marks the start of "election month." That's when mail ballots start going out to voters who request them, elections officials said Monday.

Any California voter may opt to vote by mail instead of marking a ballot at the polls, so long as he or she requests a mail ballot by the Oct. 30 deadline. County elections officials must receive a mail ballot by the time polls close Nov. 6 for it to be counted.

Local elections officials will begin mailing ballots on Tuesday because post offices were closed Monday for Columbus Day.

Read entire article at LATimes.com >>

Turnout in California's June 5 primary election was 31%, the secretary of state said, and 65% of those participating voted by mail.

By Jean Merl

Less than a third of California's voters participated in the June primary election, the secretary of state's office said Friday, and the majority did so by mail.

Turnout for the June 5 election was 5,328,296, or 31%, and 65% used mail-in ballots instead of voting at the polls on election day.

Among the counties, turnout was lowest in Los Angeles County, where just 21.8% of voters cast ballots. It was highest in rural Sierra (59.2%), Alpine (58.6%) and Amador (57.1%) counties. Sierra and Alpine conduct their elections entirely by mail.

Mail-in voting in this election broke the record set in the May 2009 special state election, in which 62% of ballots were cast by mail, officials said.

"Given the ease and convenience that voting by mail offers, it's not surprising to see more and more people choose to cast their ballots from home," Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement.

Most politics watchers expect turnout to be considerably higher for the Nov. 6 general election, when voters will decide what is expected to be a close race for president as well as several ballot measures, including tax proposals.

Read original article at LATimes.com >>

Thousands place ratification votes on temporary pay compromise

Local 1000 members up and down the state placed their votes on Wednesday to ratify a temporary compensation compromise. Results of the vote will be announced Monday, July 2.

Local 1000 reached an agreement with the governor over the terms of the temporary pay cut on Friday, June 22. The side letter agreement allows the state to cut costs in exchange for time off, along with two key provisions that protect state jobs.

053012_update.pdf

Any registered voter may vote using a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day. California law also allows any registered voter to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter.

To request a vote-by-mail ballot for one election or to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter, follow the simple process described below.

Members take action by collecting signatures for initiative to balance budget

All across California, Local 1000 members and staff are gathering signatures from voters to help ensure that the governor's compromise proposal to increase state revenues appears on the November ballot.

The Schools and Local Public Safety Protection Act of 2012 asks the richest Californians to pay their fair share to help fund public education and vital public services, pay down the debt we owe to schools, and help the state avoid more draconian cuts.

The initiative, which is supported by a wide coalition, is a crucial component in an effort by the governor and Local 1000 to not rely exclusively on cuts to balance the budget.

Primaries set stage for next decade of legislation and services

The 2012 election season will be one of the most important and unpredictable in many years. More than half the assembly seats are open due to redistricting and open primaries. At the same time, we face a ballot initiative that would silence our union's political voice; another would increase revenues to ensure vital state services are funded. More than ever, Local 1000 members stand to win--or lose--based upon their commitment to projecting political power.

"The leaders we elect this year will likely be the leaders we live with for most of the next decade," said Tamekia N. Robinson, Local 1000 vice president for organizing/representation. "Even with term limits, many of the leaders we elect this year will continue in other elected positions in the future."

Election mobilization draws hundreds of new volunteers

On behalf of Jerry Brown and other candidates supporting state employees and the services we provide, Local 1000 members mobilized at a higher level than in any previous general election race.

Since September, Local 1000 members and staff worked more than 5,000 shifts, making phone calls and walking precincts. This follows more than 1,500 shifts before the June primary election.

These three propositions on the November ballot could potentially impose far-reaching effects on the budget and the state's ability to raise revenue. Proposition 24, 25 and 26 all deserve a careful, in-depth look by Local 1000 members.

Elect a governor and legislators who will stand up for state services

As we elect our next boss, whom do you trust to be our governor? Our legislators?

Facing furloughs, pension cuts, threats of minimum wage and political attacks on many fronts, the phrase "politics matter" has never been more important to California state workers.

Democrat Jerry Brown has moved into a narrow lead over Republican Meg Whitman in their fractious contest for governor, while his party colleague Barbara Boxer has opened a wider margin over GOP nominee Carly Fiorina in the race for U.S. Senate, a new Los Angeles Times/USC poll has found.

Read the complete story at LATimes.com >>

By Jack Chang

After months of negative advertising fueled by more than $100 million in campaign spending, the California governor's race is the closest it's been this near the election in two decades.

Six weeks from Nov. 2, Republican Meg Whitman and Democrat Jerry Brown are dead even, and voters are increasingly negative about both of them, according to a nonpartisan Field Poll released Wednesday.

Read the complete story at SacBee.com >>

Attacks on state employees spur member activism

Local 1000 members have begun phone banking and walking precincts to help elect a new governor and legislators who will support state employees and the services we provide.

A letter from Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker

Dear Local 1000 member:

To rebuild California, we need a governor with common sense, the ability to bring people together to solve problems and get things done, and a fundamental respect for the services provided by dedicated state employees.

View the complete list of all the Local 1000 candidate endorsements for the November 2010 election.

GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA
Jerry Brown (Democrat)
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LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Gavin Newsom (Democrat)
Website | Facebook | Twitter

STATE CONTROLLER
John Chiang (Democrat)
Website | Facebook | Twitter

We're taking back California

Politics matter more than ever.

As we elect our next boss, whom do you trust to be our governor? Our legislators?