Spotlight on CVF
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Californians have until Nov. 3 to return their mail ballots, but elections officials and experts are encouraging voters to do it sooner rather than later.
Waiting risks mishaps that could lead to a ballot not being counted.
During the March primaries, California counties were unable to count 100,000 mail ballots, and many were rejected because they did not arrive at elections offices on time, according to county data compiled by the Secretary of State’s Office. Legislators hoping to ameliorate the problem extended the deadline for receiving ballots from three days after the election to 17 days.
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More than 33 million Americans have already voted as of Tuesday -- roughly 70% of total 2016 early voting. On Monday, the Supreme Court denied a request by Pennsylvania Republicans to shorten the deadlines for mail-in ballots in the state. We’ll get the national picture on voting from NPR’s Miles Parks and hear how voting systems are handling the record turnout. Then, president and founder of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation Kim Alexander joins Forum to take your questions on voting. We’ll cover topics like locating and using official ballot drop boxes, voting in-person after applying to vote by mail and correcting a mistake on your ballot. (Full Audio)
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With 29 days and counting until the Nov. 3 election, many Californians are getting their ballots in the mail this week. There are some 21 million registered voters in California, and every one of them will be getting a vote-by-mail ballot.
In this election, how you vote may be just as important as who you vote for. A new study by the non-partisan California Voter Foundation found that on average, nearly 2% of all vote-by-mail ballots in California are rejected and that amounts to tens of thousands of voters.
The CVF has even introduced a song to get people to participate in the voting process.
California Voter Foundation President and Founder Kim Alexander told KCRA 3 her organization wants to make sure that everyone’s vote counts.
We spoke with Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, about the errors to avoid when filling out your ballot so that you can get your vote on its way to being counted.
And if the news of the president's COVID-19 diagnosis has you wondering about how this will impact the election in general? The honest answer is that nobody quite knows right now. But one thing Alexander wants you to know: giving yourself a deadline for when you want to mail your ballot and working backwards with a plan for when to do your homework and actually fill out your ballot will help. "Your plan may shift, but in times of uncertainty it’s good to have a game plan," she says. Reading this is a great start.
Plan to Send Your Ballot on Time
Before we even talk about what's on the ballot itself, you need to know this: The #1 reason that ballots get disqualified in California is because they aren't mailed on time.
This non-partisan videos educates California voters on how to ensure their votes are counted, whether the ballots are submitted in person or by mail.
Our advisors will discuss topics such as:
• What happens to an election ballot
• How ballots are counted
• Dispel myths about the balloting process
• Lift the "curtain of mystery" surrounding election procedures
Our speakers are Kim Alexander, President of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, and Hon. Catharine B. Baker, former State Assemblywoman and Special Counsel to Hoge Fenton. {Full Video}
Things are different and there are questions. We're answering them live.
The next election is speeding toward us on a runaway train of rhetoric, doubt, and deterrents.
We have some facts, instead.
Election Day is technically November 3, but early voting starts soon after October 5 when ballots begin shipping out to every active, registered voter in California.
In L.A., we'll be voting on: the next president of the United States, the head of the largest prosecutor's office in the country, affirmative action, a possible rollback of California Proposition 13, and much more.
Pressure is high. But it's 2020, so the intensity doesn't end there. The actual process of voting is also different.
You'll be doing it possibly by mail, or at a new vote center, in the time of a historic pandemic, in the midst of a fury over racial inequity and police brutality, while the Golden State burns in the orange glow of climate change.
"Voting is challenging for many people, especially during a pandemic," said Kim Alexander, who wrote the song's lyrics and recruited volunteer, professional performers and editors to help record and produce the music video. "We put this song together to give voters a creative and entertaining way to help them prepare to vote with confidence."
As has been the case with CVF election songs in the past, this year's edition uses rhyme and a bit of humor to inform voters about the importance of getting vote-by-mail ballots in on time and remembering to sign their ballot envelope, according to Alexander.
The election songs are inspired by "Schoolhouse Rock," the 1970's series of children's television shorts that used music and animation to educate a generation about civics, math, and grammar. (Full Video)