Above are quick links to guide your registering and voting process.
Continue to scroll to learn more about the upcoming election, and ways to be civically engaged year-round!
THE ISSUE
47%
According to research by Tufts University, only 47% of registered youth voted in the 2024 election.¹ To make matters worse, youth in San Diego County already make up one of the smallest segments of registered voters, above only voters 85+ years old. Our success counts on our ability to shape our own future, and voting is one essential part of wielding that power.
Over 30% of voters who do submit a ballot leave much of it blank. Though races at the top of the ballot get the most attention, it is the options down the page that make the biggest impact on your everyday life. Though the federal government and governors' certainly have power, it is often local representatives, propositions, initiatives, and measures that decide your future.
THE SOLUTION
We must vote and stay engaged year-round. Our future is at stake, and we can not afford to not utilize all the tools we have at our disposal. Voting can be difficult, but there are ways to make it easier and ensure you are choosing people and policies that work for you.
Down-ballot voting means voting on local candidates, propositions, measures, initiatives, and other races that aren't the most popular, not top of mind, or not the highest profile contest.
Our local officials (state assembly members and senators, county supervisors, sheriff, city council members, mayor, city attorney, and more) decide your everyday circumstances. They decide how to utilize local budgets and whether or not state, county, and municipal tax dollars will be used to close gaps created by federal cuts or go towards police, surveillance, and benefits for corporations. They decide if we will enter contracts with surveillance tech or private parking agencies, how and where housing can be built and used, and much more.
Down ballot voting can also decide local tax revenue, like this November's Measure B determining whether or not a half cent sales tax will fund health, family, environmental protection, and public safety services.² This midterm election, there is an initiative determining if you will need to provide a physical ID before you vote for the next election.
Critical decisions impacting your ability to afford and access housing, healthcare, groceries, and basic needs are made everyday, so they seem ordinary. Some of these decisions result in your public school teacher, police-officer, or sanitation worker. Government has a greater impact locally than nationally.³ Registering to vote, making an informed choice, and completing your ballot today is an essential part of being civically engaged in your community.
I MISSED THE REGISTRATION DEADLINE, NOW WHAT?
If you missed the October 19th registration deadline, you can still vote in this election! While you cannot vote by mail, you can still vote in-person between now and election day on November 3rd.
If your name is not on the voting rolls when you get to the polling place, you have the right to cast a provisional ballot. This is a regular ballot that is sealed within a special envelope before it is placed in the ballot box. This envelope has a form where voters will include the same information needed for voter registration. When this envelope is received, the information on the outside of the envelope will be checked to ensure voter eligibility. If approved, the ballot will be separated from the envelope to be counted - while maintaining voter anonymity.
To learn more, visit the state registrar's website here.
