Voter Education

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Educated and informed voters are the key to our democracy. ​

Six Things to Do or Know Before You Vote in the June 7th Primary
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DO:

1. Visit Voters Edge. At votersedge.org, you can compare candidates' positions; find out who endorses them and learn which individuals and groups have contributed to their campaigns.
2. Visit Our Website. At lwvpaloalto.org you can find voter information, links to recorded candidate forums and pros and cons of Measure A.  
3. Rely on the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. The RoV website is the place to go for links to locations of drop boxes and vote centers— and much more.

 
KNOW:

1. There is No Partisan Primary Ballot. Everyone received the same ballot instead of one for their Political Party registration. That’s because in all California primaries, the top two vote getters, regardless of party, will advance to the November 8th general election.
2. Who Wins? There are two types of offices. The first is "voter nominated”, the term now used for candidates declaring a party. Governor, State Senator and Assemblyman are examples. The top two vote getters will appear on the General Election ballot November 8th, even if one gets more than 50% of the vote. The second type of office is non-partisan. Sheriff, District Attorney and Assessor are examples. If any of these candidates receives more than 50% of the vote, they will be declared the winner and will take office in January 2023–without having to run in the General Election.
3. You Will Vote Twice for the Same U.S. Senatorial Seat. The ballot includes two races for U.S. Senator, one “short-term” and one “full-term.” When Senator Kamala Harris became Vice-President, Governor Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to serve out her term. California requires that an appointed  office holder run in the next election in order to complete the term. The Primary is the first election since Padilla was appointed, so he is running to serve out the term that ends in January 2023. He is also running for the full six-year term from 2023 to 2029. Opposing candidates chose to run in one or both of these contests.

 
Most importantly, don’t forget to cast your ballot by June 7th. Democracy is always on the ballot and your vote matters.

• VOLUNTEER with LWVPA:  Doing this work takes a village!  Find out how you can help.​
• VOLUNTEER with the Registrar of Voters: 
  • ​Be a Vote Center Observer June 4-7
  • Election Night Volunteer Opportunities​

• ​The League of Women Voters will help you cast an informed ballot! To prepare for each election,
  • START HERE:  Voter's Edge California - your one-stop shop for in-depth, nonpartisan information about candidates, ballot propositions and local ballot measures, including campaign funding information and a high quality Spanish translation for State and Federal races.
  • ATTEND Candidate Forums by Zoom - LWV of Palo Alto hosted or cosponsored Zoom candidate forums for four 2022 primary races for the June 7, 2022 election. Videos are on our YouTube Channel.
  • ATTEND Zoom Pros & Cons events - In the fall of 2022, LWV of Palo Alto will sponsor Zoom events to discuss and answer questions about ballot propositions and local measures. For the June 7th primary election, there is only one local ballot measure, for which pros and cons are provided on votersedge.org.  
  • READ: Our League's Voter Guide (which includes information about both state and local propositions and measures) or the EZ Voter Guide (which is simpler, is available in five languages, and includes only state propositions)

Other Nonpartisan Ballot Information:

• Ballotpedia - the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections
• League of Women Voters of Palo Alto (LWVPA) videos of candidate forums will be posted to our YouTube channel at least a month before each election
• Pros/Cons presentation videos of League experts describing the pros and cons of ballot propositions will be posted to our YouTube channel at least a month before each election

Partisan Sources of Ballot Information - if you are personally aligned with a particular party or point of view, these lists of endorsements may be helpful.

• California Democratic Party List of Endorsements
• California Republican Party List of Endorsements
• California Libertarian Party Voting Guide

Newspaper Endorsements and Editorials - Reading opinion pieces on both sides of a ballot proposition can be helpful in finding your own view. Newspapers also provide thoughtful written material in support of particular candidates for elected office. 

​100 Days and 100 Ways to Get Ready for Election Day - Best for national use.