What’s On The Ballot On June 7?

By Ann G. Daniels and Heidi Rand

Think midterm elections are a yawn? Think again. The Big Liar-in-Chief and his cronies are plotting to elect their co-conspirators as Secretaries of State to take over the country’s election systems – basically providing “arsonists with keys to the firehouse.” Or as Steve Bannon eloquently says: “We’re taking over all the elections.” Yes, even in California: one top candidate for CA Secretary of State hates vote by mail and COVID vaccine requirements and is a Trumpworld darling. And that’s not all that’s going on. So read up, sign up, and roll up your sleeves – it’s that time again!

What you can do:

Mark your calendar with these important dates in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties:

• May 9: First day to Vote By Mail (VBM): 
• May 23: Last day to register to vote to be eligible to vote in this election: 
• May 31: Last day to request a VBM ballot (NOTE: all Alameda County voters will be sent a vote by mail ballot)
• June 7: Election Day

Find out where to vote:

• Contra Costa County: 
  • Early Voting Locations
  • Ballot Drop Boxes
  • Polling Places for Tuesday June 7
• Alameda County:
  • Vote centers
  • See Oaklandside’s excellent article for info on how and where you can vote in Oakland, including voting centers, drop boxes, and how to mail back your ballot.

Find out about what’s on the ballot:

We could write a book about this, but you’ll get one in the mail soon enough (those voter guides get longer and longer!) so we’re highlighting some of our top items here:

Local:

• Oakland:
  • Measure C: Renews a land parcel tax for 30 years, providing critical funding for Oakland neighborhood libraries and service programs, including for youth, seniors, and unhoused populations
  • IEB member Janani Ramachandran is running for Oakland City Council District 4. She addressed IEB’s April All Members Meeting, and you can see her remarks here. This is a contested election for an open seat; the incumbent, Sheng Thao, is running for mayor of Oakland in the November election.
• Alameda (city):
  • Measure B: Authorizes a bond to upgrade local classrooms, math/science labs, technology, college/career training facilities for high quality academic education; improve accessibility, earthquake safety, school security, water quality/plumbing systems; renovate, acquire, construct, classrooms, sites, facilities/equipment

State:

• • State legislature: Every two years, all state Assembly seats and half of the State Senate seats are up for election, and the primary winnows the candidates down to the top two in each race. IEB covers Assembly Districts 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, and 20; we also cover State Senate District 10, which is up for election this year. Look up your district here. An important note: Under the ten-year Redistricting Plan, after the June election you may not be in the state legislative district you used to be in – check out our article.
  • Sheriff and District Attorney – Check out our recent article on why these four races – for both positions in Alameda County and both positions in Contra Costa County – are so important. Contra Costa DA Diana Becton addressed IEB’s April 2022 All Members Meeting, and you can see her remarks here. 
  • Governor – Does it seem like you just voted for Governor? You did – and you didn’t. Fall 2021 was the recall election, in which Governor Newsom was not recalled. This year is the regularly scheduled election. As always, there are about a jillion people running – none of them repeats from the jillion people who ran against Newsom in the recall election, for what that’s worth. The top two vote-getters in the June primary will go on to the November general election. Also: this time, unlike in the recall, there’s an election for Lieutenant Governor, too.

National:

• • Vote for Alex Padilla for Senate, and then vote for Alex Padilla for Senate. No, you aren’t seeing double, and you won’t be seeing double on the ballot either when you see Alex Padilla twice. This article explains the somewhat complicated reason for the duplication, which has to do with the timing of his appointment to fill VP Harris’s Senate seat. IEB has endorsed Padilla and although we didn’t endorse him twice, please vote for him twice to make sure he actually wins.
  • Every seat in the House of Representatives is up for election every two years. This year has a little different weight than most years because under the ten-year Redistricting Plan, after the June election you may not be in the Congressional district you used to be in. This is especially important for many residents of western Contra Costa County, who have been in CA-11 and represented by Mark DeSaulnier but who will be in the newly created CA-8 and represented by a different Member of Congress after the June elections. Look up your Congressional district here and check out our recent article.

 

Ann G. Daniels has enjoyed a checkered background: attorney, reproductive rights advocate, web content creator, literacy teacher, craftsperson, perpetual nerd, occasional rabble-rouser.

Heidi Rand fights for progressive change with skills gained as a Ninth Circuit staff attorney and civil rights lawyer, using her words to inform and inspire others to take action. She also wields a mean camera and knitting needles, though not at the same time.

“Vote!” by kgroovy is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.