Bicycling Monterey extends respect to everyone who takes time to inform themselves about candidates and issues, then votes according to their own beliefs and conscience.

 

• Scroll down for Bicycling-Specific Voter Resources.

• If you’re age 16 or 17, see special note for YOUTH below.

In this post, grab links to resources for voter registration and other voting info for all 50 states of the USA, plus specific info for California and for Monterey County. 

This post is provided as an intro about voting, and to highlight some common areas of confusion. For the most accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information, visit official government websites:

United States – http://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote

California – http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/

Monterey County – http://www.montereycountyelections.us

Some people find non-governmental websites more user-friendly, but be careful to get info from reliable sources!

One widely trusted resource about registering to vote, finding your polling place, and more is nonpartisan website VOTE411.org, launched in 2006 by the League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920. Some additional non-governmental resources are also provided below.

For upcoming election dates,

and registration deadlines,

check your state’s website:

https://www.usa.gov/election-office.

• For example, for California, the next Primary Election date is March 3, 2020 http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/, and the deadline to register to vote in that election is February 18, 2020: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/. Learn more about Primary Elections below. IMPORTANT: Three parties allow voters who registered as No Party Preference to request their party’s presidential ballot for the March 3, 2020 election (“crossover voting”); see https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/2019-news-releases-and-advisories/three-parties-allow-no-party-preference-voters-participate-presidential-primary/. 
• For all 50 states, November 3, 2020 is the next General Election / Presidential Election.
• In addition, your county may sometimes have “County-Administered Elections — upcoming Local Elections.” For example, for California counties: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/county-administered-elections/.

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SPECIAL NOTE FOR YOUTH

Some states offer a pre-registration option for ages 16 and/or 17. Also, some states allow registered 17-year-olds who will be 18 by a general election to vote in a primary election. One non-governmental resource where you can learn more about this topic is http://www.headcount.org/think-youre-young-register/.

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United States of America

• In the USA, rules about voting differ for every state. The U.S. government website is a good place to start your research: http://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote!

• Voter registration info: http://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.

  If you miss your state’s voter registration deadline for voting in an upcoming election, your state may have a “safety net”—Same-Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration—that will allow you to still cast your vote. To find out, check your state’s website: https://www.usa.gov/election-office. For example, for Californians: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/

• VOTE411.org by the League of Women Voters (LWV) is a widely trusted resource. First-time voters may wish to refer to https://www.vote411.org/first-time-voter-checklist.

  As for Primary Elections (a common area of confusion): Californians—see Primary Elections tips below. For other states of the U.S., keep in mind that  rules about voting differ for every state, including rules for Primary Elections. Here’s an intro to primaries from the League of Women Voters: http://www.lwv.org/blog/understanding-elections-primaries-101. That LWV “Primaries 101” post includes the question “When is my state’s primary?” and refers to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and a chart from the FEC. Here’s an updated version (Jan 20, 2020) of that chart https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2020pdates.pdf. (Note: As of Jan 20, 2020, the FEC site, an official U.S government website, was lacking in user friendliness and data appears incomplete. Curious to learn more about the FEC? Mission statement: https://www.fec.gov/about/mission-and-history/. You may also be interested in https://www.fec.gov/introduction-campaign-finance/how-to-research-public-records/election-dates/.)

Some people also like vote.org, launched in 2016. For example, here’s their info on early voting, and whether it is an option in your state: http://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/

California residents!

About Primary Elections:

If you want to vote for a presidential candidate in California’s March 3, 2020 primary, be sure you’re registered to vote in a way that allows you to do so.

If you are currently registered as No Party Preference, in order to vote for a presidential candidate you’ll need to either: (1) request a ballot for one of the three parties that allow “crossover voting”—American Independent Party, Democratic Party, or Libertarian Party; or (2) re-register as a member of any of the following parties, which do not allow crossover voting—Green Party, Peace and Freedom Party, Republican Party.

Check out this State of California official web page on “How to Vote for U.S. President.” https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-info/how-vote-president/?#*

Additional tips:

• Background: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/news-releases-and-advisories/2019-news-releases-and-advisories/three-parties-allow-no-party-preference-voters-participate-presidential-primary/.
• Although it’s helpful to return the card that was mailed to registered No Party Preference voters (which may say “return by Dec 20, 2019” or another date), if you didn’t return the card, refer to the state’s website or contact your county’s elections department by phone, email, fax, or in-person for guidance. You have options up through Election Day, March 3, 2020!
  
• If you vote by mail, note that most counties will not send out vote-by-mail ballots until February 3, 2020 for the March 3, 2020 Primary Election. If you are registered No Party Preference and receive a ballot without presidential candidates, you can take that ballot into a polling place all the way through Election Day and exchange it for one with American Independent, Democratic, or Libertarian candidates. 

No Party Preference voters! If you want to vote for a presidential candidate in the primary election you will need to request a ballot or re-register to vote. Get a full guide on this process at https://t.co/5liSnrd5L5#VoteCalifornia pic.twitter.com/91Kr9IR7DH

— CA SOS Vote (@CASOSvote) January 20, 2020

More info for all California residents

For any possible changes, and for the most accurate and complete information, visit the State of California website, http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/.

• Youth and other new voters may not know their rights. See the CA Voter Bill of Rights https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-bill-rights/. For example, California voters’ rights include (as of Jan 26, 2020—for any updates, check https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-bill-rights/): the right to vote if you are in line when the polls close; the right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California; and more.

• California has a 15-day voter registration deadline. That means for any election you want to vote in, you must be registered 15 days before the election date.
• However, if you miss a registration deadline for an upcoming election, CA has a “safety net”—Same-Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration—that will allow you to still cast your vote. See https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/
• Californians can register to vote on paper or online. Paper and online forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.
• Who can register to vote (or for ages 16 and 17, to pre-register)? How do I register? Where can I register? http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions/#voterreg
• What’s up with provisional voting? https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/provisional-voting/
• Other FAQs: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions/

More info for California YOUTH age 16 or 17

• Eager to vote? Be ready! If you pre-register at age 16 or 17, you’ll automatically become registered on your 18th birthday. Pre-registration info: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18/
• Want to help get more youth registering and voting? Refer to https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/castudentsvote/

More info for all Monterey County residents

• The Monterey County Elections Department website has been redesigned and is now more user friendly. Nonetheless, as with most counties, it may not have the most current or complete information. When in doubt, contact Monterey County Elections Department by phone, by email, by  fax, or in person: https://www.montereycountyelections.us/about-us/. Or check the state’s website https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/.
• For info on No Party Preference crossover card (and the three options for NPP voters), as well as other election mail, see: https://www.montereycountyelections.us/election-mail/. For more info for No Party Preference voters for Primary Elections, refer to tips above or to State of California official web page on “How to Vote for U.S. President.” https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-info/how-vote-president/?#*
• Sometimes Monterey County Elections Department has additional hours, such as Saturday hours near an election date. Check with them for any hours not posted on their website.
• Monterey County Elections Department home page: http://www.montereycountyelections.us
• In Spanish: https://www.montereycountyelections.us/home/lang/es
• Info in additional languages is included for voter registration and more. Refer to the voter registration information page http://www.montereycountyelections.us/register.htm. That page includes a link for people who want to register online; that link goes to the State of California site (e.g., English https://covr.sos.ca.gov/?language=en-US/ ). Or to register, pre-register (for age 16-17), or to check your registration status, just go directly to  http://registertovote.ca.gov

As mentioned elsewhere in this post, a county may sometimes have “County-Administered Elections — upcoming Local Elections,” e.g., http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/county-administered-elections/. (NOTE: Don’t be confused by that page. If Monterey County is listed as “No elections scheduled at this time,” that just means there are no county-administered local elections. It does not mean that voters in Monterey County do not have other upcoming elections in which they can vote, e.g., upcoming national and state elections.)

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Do you want

government representatives who share your concerns about issues such as bicycling infrastructure, climate change, or gun law reform? Register and vote!

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As the League of Women Voters says,

“Democracy is not a spectator sport!” 

Non-governmental Monterey County resource: League of Women Voters of Monterey County: http://lwvmryco.org/

 

Bicycling-Specific

Voter Resources

California Bicycle Coalition (calbike.org)

Visit the CalBike website for legislative agenda https://www.calbike.org/calbike-2020-agenda/. CalBike leadership includes advocating for bike-friendly legislation and tracking voting records of state senators and assembly members. 

• Contact CalBike to learn more, or check https://www.calbike.org/take_action/bike-the-vote/ (updated from old link http://www.calbike.org/bike_the_vote_with_calbike), or newsroom – https://www.calbike.org/newsroom/, or elsewhere on calbike.org and CalBike’s social media platforms, e.g., Twitter: https://twitter.com/calbike
• CalBike’s leadership includes state propositions such as California’s Proposition 6 in 2018: http://twitter.com/CalBike/status/1042881082973212674. Click here for some Prop 6 history, including examples of Monterey County leaders supporting CalBike’s position.
• Some 2020 examples of CalBike’s endorsements are offered below, for your consideration. 

Among @CalBike endorsements posted so far at https://t.co/2Bl1i0IUMK are some for candidates from Monterey Bay Region—e.g., @RobertRivas_CA of San Benito County, running for Assembly District 30 seat. #IBikeIVote

More voting info: https://t.co/axP51Ox61t. #RockTheVote #Vote

— Bicycling Monterey (@BikeMonterey) February 18, 2020

In his response to whether 1.6% of the total transportation budget is enough for biking and walking investments, Laird said he is “clearly committed to doing significantly more” as he did for nine years as member of his local transportation commission.https://t.co/PDUM8QNM8M

— California Bicycle Coalition (@CalBike) February 17, 2020

John Laird is running for the seat of CA State Senator Bill Monning, who is not running again because he has termed-out. Monning has been recognized by the California Bicycle Coalition “Voted for bikes 100%,” and Senator Monning has endorsed Laird as his successor in the State Senate: https://0ca11b4e-9cdc-4023-8051-b10648d0bf60.filesusr.com/ugd/30b961_8eece2e12c1e4f1f8daa99956de891c5.pdf. 

As @CalBike knows, CA Senate Maj Leader @billmonning values sustainable transportation.

As Monning said 12/9 in Carmel Vly: whether it's 95 cents/month rate increase for clean, pure water (SB 623) or improved transportation infrastructure, pragmatic solutions require money. pic.twitter.com/IHsLmxLl6Q

— Bicycling Monterey (@BikeMonterey) December 10, 2017

 

Check #IBikeIVote and #BikeTheVote hashtags on Twitter and other social media platforms for additional information.

People for Bikes (peopleforbikes.org)

https://peopleforbikes.org/tag/policy-news/
https://peopleforbikes.org/our-work/political-work/

The League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org)

• Check the League website, e.g., https://www.bikeleague.org/content/i-bike-i-vote
• U.S. Congressional voting records. As of 10/24/18, the League had recorded how members of Congress vote on issues that affect bicycling and walking, and the League planned to do that again in the future. With the current transportation bill expiring in 2020, there will be more U.S. Congressional votes coming. As for candidates, the League stated that they had a very difficult time getting campaigns to return completed questionnaires.  “Lesson learned; next time we will need more help in gathering completed questionnaires.”
• To contact the League of American Bicyclists: http://www.bikeleague.org/content/staff

 Register and Vote!

If you don’t register and vote, don’t whine. Improving the democratic system requires an informed electorate that votes.

#NationalVoterRegistrationDay National Voter Registration Day https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org serves to remind: please register so you can vote!