The 2020 Election: Ballot Guide Workshop by KAMP

By KAMP

KAMP’s ballot guide workshop provided folks with a space to learn more about voting this year. Held at 6:30 on Thursday, October 29, the event started out by addressing important dates and allowing attendees to reflect on why they are voting. The deadlines to register to vote (or update voter registration information) and to request a mail-in ballot have passed; they were October 19 and October 27, respectively. In California, however, one can conditionally register to vote. This is also referred to as Same Day Voter Registration. The date of the election is Tuesday, November 3, and polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Something important to note is that if the polls close while you are still in line, you have the right to vote. Read your voter bill of rights here. 

After some folks shared their reasons for voting came the topic of how to fill out one’s ballot to ensure that it counts. The most important part of filling out one’s ballot is signing one’s name on the envelope and writing the date of signature. If this step is skipped, or if the signature does not match that on one’s driver’s license, the ballot will not be counted. In addition, the ballot should be filled out in blue or black ink and should not contain any stray marks. A mail-in ballot must be deposited in an official ballot drop-off box by November 3 at 8 p.m. You can find the official California voter guide here, and look for locations to drop off your ballot, vote early, and register to vote here.  

By UCSC Student Media

Following this portion came the main segment of the event: going over the propositions on the ballot. Some clarity was provided regarding what a yes vote and a no vote on a proposition would mean. Voting yes on a proposition would mean being in favor of making the proposed changes; voting no would mean that the proposed changes are not implemented. As this was an unbiased event, this portion simply covered what the propositions proposed, and attendees were not told to vote one way or another. Student Media’s ballot guide, which you can find here, was used at this time. In addition to information about some of the candidates running for office, the guide contains a brief explanation of each proposition, and even lists a few people and organizations that support and oppose each proposition. One tip that was given at this time was to see who supports what; if you are unsure about what to vote for, looking at the endorsements of an individual or organization with whom you share views can help you make a decision. This can be applied to the propositions and candidates.

The attendees were then given the opportunity to ask about any propositions they were unsure of, and more information was supplemented to provide some explanation. Finally, having supplied the attendees with the information and resources needed to vote confidently, the event ended. Thank you to everyone who came to the event, and thank you to Mariah Peralta for putting this together and leading the event!
You can access the resources discussed during the event here.

Written by Samantha Sebandal