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To vote early or not to vote early? That’s the question — at least for some California Democrats who want to avoid seeing two Republicans as the only candidates for governor in November.
As CalMatters’ Maya S. Miller explains, fears that two GOP candidates will make it through the June primary because Democratic voters have failed to rally around a single front-runner have led some liberals to they voted at 11 o’clock.
The strategy — which has spread online among passionate Democrats — suggests that if you hold off on early voting and keep watching the polls, eventually a standout should emerge, and then you should make up your mind.
- Katie Evans-ReberDemocratic voter in San Francisco: “The thing that turned around for me was going from ‘I really don’t know what to do’ to ‘Strategically undecided.’
But delivering ballots by mail on Election Day is a worst-case scenario for election officials who must process and verify ballots in a state known for its slow vote-counting process.
The council defied pleas from top Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who urged voters to turn in their ballots early.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic political consultant, also argued that the strategy was unlikely to produce significant results and that “people are voting for whoever they were going to vote for anyway.”
- Mitchell: “It’s just a bad message. I think they should always have a message of, ‘As soon as you get your ballot, fill it out, turn it in, mail it in, and do it.’
The issues defining California’s future are not‘I’m not waitingand neither should you. From AI to immigration to the challenges of the next governor, join CalMatters on May 21 for the Festival of Ideas and be part of the conversation. Secure your seat.
We’re bringing our voter guide to life through Voting is important events in California this month, in collaboration with on-the-ground partners: local news organizations, colleges, libraries, churches and nonprofits. Our next events are tonight at San Francisco and Camarilloand Wednesday evening at Los Angeles. We also have a DIY kit to organize your own event.
Other stories you should know
Build, baby, build
A lot is up in the air about our governor’s race, but we can see one clear winner: YIMBYs.
CalMatters’ Ben Christopher reports today that top Democrats are on the same page when it comes to the development policies the Yes In My Backyard movement wants. That’s a stark contrast to eight years earlier, when few candidates openly embraced the approach as a way to address California’s housing crisis.
At a candidate forum earlier this year in San Francisco, seven candidates, including Tom Steyer, Katie Porter and Xavier Becerra, said yes to a question about whether they believe California’s “housing shortage is primarily the result of local and state regulatory barriers to housing.”
This consensus is a win for YIMBY. They are so happy with the line-up that they are not making an official endorsement in the race.
- Brian HanlonCalifornia YIMBY co-founder: “Overall, the top four Democrats have really good housing plans. YIMBYs should feel pretty good about their choice for governor.”
Who should run CA schools?
Eight years ago, the open race for California’s state superintendent was one of the hottest races on the ballot as teacher unions and charter schools poured tens of millions of dollars into the election. Tony Thurmond took the lead ahead of Marshall Tuck.
This year the competition has more candidates but less dramawrites Carolyn Jones of CalMatters.
Whoever wins could lead a narrowly mandated office: Newsom this year wants to reduce the chief’s powers and add more responsibility to the governor’s office.
The leading candidates include a host of education policy veterans:
- Richard Barrera, member of the San Diego Unified School Board, endorsed by the California Teachers Association
- MP Al Muratsuchiformer head of the parliamentary committee on education
- Josh Newman, former head of the Senate Education Committee
- Anthony Rendon, former Speaker of the Assembly and longtime early education program administrator
- Nichelle Henderson, Los Angeles County College Board Member
Another candidate, Sonya Shaw, is a Chino Valley school board member. She is known for advocating for policies related to LGBTQ students, including requiring schools to notify parents if their child is transgender and banning students from playing on sports teams that do not match their birth gender.
California voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Capitol Hill politicians are not only blaming President Donald Trump for the state budget problem they created four years ago, but they may use the projected revenue surge as a cure and repeat what got them in trouble first.
The Canvas cyber attack highlights the security risk have millions of student records and multiple terabytes of data stored in one place to save money, writes Foaad Khosmoodprofessor at California Poly and director of research at the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy.
Californians deserve to know what’s in their foodand lawmakers should pass a bill that would require food companies to disclose the chemicals they hide behind vague terms, writes Thomas Galliganchief scientist for dietary supplements and supplements at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Other things worth your time:
Think $6 gas is bad? It’s about to get worse in California // The Wall Street Journal
The specter of the GOP governor’s race is fueling the push for CA remake open primary // Los Angeles Times
The CA GOP’s choice for insurance carries the luggage on January 6 in the race shaped by the crisis // The Mercury News
Few teenagers in California register in advance to vote a decade after the option is given // LAist
English learners can skip on support for Newsom’s proposal, advocates warn // EdSource
Amazon halts sales of high-speed e-bikes in California after fatal crashes // Los Angeles Times
As the transitional kindergarten growshundreds of childcare centers to close // KQED
Workers at Planned Parenthood’s largest affiliate unions unite, citing Trump cuts // San Francisco Chronicle
What happens after cleaning up a homeless camp? // San Diego Union Tribune