Elections and Voting in a Democracy 1

Choosing Representatives Holding Them Accountable 2 Direct Voting on Issues

3 Legalize and tax marijuana No 54% - 46% Extend term limits of CA state legislators from 8 to 12 years Yes 61% - 39% Increase vehicle license fees by $18 a year to fund state parks No 57% - 43% How would you have voted?

4 Increase tax on cigaretts from $0.87 to $1.87 per pack No 50.3% % End the death penalty in CA and replace it with life in prison No 52% - 48% Increase penalties for human trafficking and sex slavery Yes 81% - 19% How would you have voted?

California voters usually have the opportunity and/or the responsibility to participate in elections every year. 5

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Senators are elected to 6-year terms 8

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Governor Elected to 4- Year Term 10

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 Community College Districts  Court Districts  Board of Equalization Districts  Water Board Districts  Airport Districts  Etc. 15

16  1) Encourage full participation by all eligible citizens  2) Ensure and protect equal access to participation regardless of age, race, language, income, education, disability or location  3) Ensure that every eligible citizen can easily register to vote and that voter registration rolls are accurate and up-to-date  4) Provide citizens with information about registration and voting — including information on candidates, ballot issues and voting instructions — in a variety of formats, including disability accessible formats, and languages — so that every voter can make informed voting choices and cast a meaningful and valid ballot  5) Provide each voter with flexibility regarding options for casting a ballot  6) Protect voters from intimidation and deception and ensure enforcement and compliance with all applicable laws protecting voters’ rights and the integrity of the voting process  7) Reflect the highest standards of transparency, accuracy and security and provide all citizens with justifiable confidence in election systems — including voting technology — and their outcomes  8) Provide outreach and education to California’s youth about the electoral process and the value of civic participation in order to foster a spirit of lifelong participation in all voters  9) Guarantee that state and local governments provide resources in proportion to election administration requirements while holding election officials accountable for efficient and effective use of those funds  10) Commit to seeking improvements of all kinds — from small fixes to big and fundamental changes — that make California’s elections work for the voters of today and tomorrow Election Principles

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Democrat Far Left Liberal Moderate Conservative Far Right Republican 18

Libertarian P & F Green Democrat Far Left Liberal Moderate Conservative Far Right Republican Am. Independent Libertarian 19

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 Vote  Persuade 4 others to vote your way  Prepare an advocacy poster  Campaign for a candidate  Invite a candidate to speak on campus  Contribute money to a candidate’s campaign  Blog on current political issues  Promote a candidate/issue on your Facebook page  Write an editorial promoting a candidate in the Otter Realm 24

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 Are “demographic” factors related to “political participation”? Let’s look at California…. 26

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28,300,000 Adults 22,700,000 Eligible Voters 15,800,000 Registered Voters 8,900,000 Voted 4,800,000 Voted for Arnold % 80% 56% 31% 17%

 Only a fraction of California adults choose our decision-makers  Those voters are not at all representative of the California population  The political system typically responds to those who vote and get involved. 37

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 Conservative Conservative  Liberal Liberal 39