California Needs Your Voice - Register to Vote

by Gary Toebben

Six weeks from today, California will hold the statewide June primary election. Voters will select candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Controller, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner and Superintendent of Public Instruction. Five statewide propositions will be on the ballot, as well as a U.S Senate seat, Congressional seats, state Senate and Assembly races, Board of Equalization districts and countywide office holders like Sheriff and Assessor.

According to the Secretary of State, 17.8 million of the 24.3 million eligible California adults registered to vote for the 2014 general election. Turnout in the June 2014 primary was 25 percent and turnout in the 2014 November general election was 42 percent, a record low and 8 percentage points below the 2010 gubernatorial election.

These elections result in big, impactful decisions. That's why the Chamber partnered with Secretary of State Alex Padilla a couple weeks ago to announce his launch of “Democracy at Work 2018,” a non-partisan initiative that encourages businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to promote voter registration to employees and customers ahead of the 2018 elections. Participating organizations can send internal communications urging employees to register and vote.  They can also provide informational materials at physical locations and through social media and web communications.
 
In addition to urging our members and their employees to vote, the Chamber will be hosting events with candidates. You can REGISTER for our first conversation with gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa next Tuesday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the Chamber. We will also be publishing our June ballot proposition recommendations in our May 8 Business Perspective.

Please keep in mind the following relevant dates:

May 7 - First day to vote-by-mail

May 21 - Last day to register to vote for June 5 primary

May 29 - Last day county officials will accept application for a vote-by-mail ballot

June 5 - Statewide primary election

Los Angeles County residents are encouraged to visit the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder website for additional information and resources.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. The future of our state requires the participation of voices representing diverse ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and geographies. That is why I am urging you to share this information with your employees, colleagues and friends. The more people we engage in voting, the more representative our state leadership will be.

And that's The Business Perspective.