“Aunt Sam”

This has been a banner year for ballot measures for California. More than $500,000,000 has been spent by private donors, unions, coalitions, building industries and corporations to promote their interests and persuade the public. Moreover, each year the number of qualifying proposals increases. Voters must approve the measures by 55% for constitutional amendments and two-thirds for other measures.

To prepare for the election on Nov. 8, my suggestion would be to pick one or two propositions of interest. You can utilize the following online resources to research your Proposition(s):

• California Secretary of State
• Cal-Access provides financial information supplied by state candidates, donors, lobbyists, and others
• The California Easy Voter Guide
• Smart Voter
• Ballotpedia (The Encyclopedia of American Politics)

What is a ballot measure? A ballot measures is a piece of proposed legislation to be approved or rejected. Propositions/ballot measures are considered a direct democratic process. They are important because they establish laws, can affect outcomes in our daily lives, change culture and can have huge costs or savings to the voter.