Midterm elections are quickly approaching in November and it’s important to know what’s on the ballot and the importance each office holds.
This election is important because it focuses on very local positions such as Board of Supervisors and state senate positions.
“It’s a lot both from the state level as well as the very local level, the ones that can affect people in their daily lives like the school board and city council races,” said Mary Bedard Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk.
Due to how local the midterm election is it is important to vote and amplify your voice to make sure the community is represented by fair leaders. In the last midterm election in 2018 the Kern County voter turnout was 55% percent according to bedard.
“There’s such a variety of things that really do have a day to day impact on people’s lives so it really is important that people have their voices heard,” said Bedard.
In this election people will be mailed their ballots on October 10th. To vote community members will be able to mail in their ballots, take it to the elections office, their voting site, or the drop boxes throughout the county.
Bedard advises everyone to double check their polling sites because it may have changed after the redistricting.
“Their polling site might be different this time than it’s been in years past so it’s really important for people to look at their sample ballot book that comes out from the county… on the back of that it shows what their polling place is,” said Bedard.
If you are not registered to vote or not sure you can go online to register and to check confirm registration.
On the ballot this year Californians will vote on
- Governor
- Lieutenant Governor
- US
- Secretary of State
- California Controller
- Treasurer
- Attorney General
- Insurance Commissioner
- Member of State Board of Equalization
- State Superintendent of Public Instruction
- U.S. Representative in Congress
- State Senator, State Assembly Member
- Supreme Court Justices
Along with individual races there will be seven statewide measures to vote on including;
- Proposition 1: Atkins Reproductive Freed
- This measure will amend the California Constitution to restrict the state from interfering with people’s reproductive decisions. It includes the right to chose to have an abortion.
- Proposition 26: Authorizes new types of gambling- initiative constitutional and statutory amendment.
- Would allow federally recognized Native American tribes to operate roulette, dice games, and sports wagering on tribal lands. Part of the proposition will impose a 10% tax on sports-wagering profits at horse-racing tracks. Only for people 21 and above and prohibits marketing to people under 21.
- Proposition 27: Allows online and mobile sports wagering-initiative constitutional amendment and statute.
- Allow mobile and inline sports wager for people 21 and up. This will only be allowed at federally recognized Indian tribes and eligible businesses. This will also impose a 10% tax on sports wagering revenues and licensing fees. It will direct tax and licensing revenues first to regulatory costs, then remainder to: 85% to homelessness programs; 15% to nonparticipating tribes.
- Proposition 28: Provides additional funding for arts and music education in public schools- initiative statute.
- This measure will provide additional funding for arts and music education in K-12 public schools. To do this it will pull from the General Fund qualling 1% of the required state and local funding.
- Proposition 29: Requires on-site licensed medical professionals at kidney dialysis clinics and establishes other state requirements- initiative statute.
- This measure will require medical professionals to have at least six months of relevant experience when on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics. Clinics will have to disclose to patients which physicians have at least five percent ownership or more of the clinic. Clinics will not be allowed to close or substantially reduce services without state approval and can not refuse to treat patients based on source of payment.
- Proposition 30: Provides funding for programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by increasing tax on personal income over $2 million- initiative statute.
- This will increase tax on personal income over $2 million by 1.75% and allocate new tax revenues. 45% will be for rebates and other incentives for zero-emission vehicle purchases, 35% will be for charging stations for zero-emission vehicles, with at least half of this funding directed to low-income households and communities, and 20% for wildfire prevention and suppression programs, with priority given to hiring and training firefighters.
- Proposition 31: Referendum challenging a 2020 law prohibiting retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products.
- If this petition meets its required number of signatures it will challenge the 2020 law prohibiting the retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products and tobacco flavor enhancers. The referendum would require a majority of voters to approve the 2020 state law before it can take effect.