Back to the Ballot:
Understanding WTF is on the Ballot
“It feels unnatural the apathy I have for voting this time around. But I fight the urge to check out. It’s a privilege I don’t feel I have when I think our democracy is at stake.” - Laura Herrera, our B2TB expert and friend.
Let’s be real y’all, voting hasn’t always been in vogue, but I felt like we all were doing our best to do our part (we’ve been hosting Back to the Ballot since 2018 for anyone just joining us). And to say that we’re feeling excited about this election would be a bold faced lie. We’re not.
While the presidential election, for a lot of people, feels impossible this year. We know a lot of folks who are sitting this one out, and listen, we get it.
We don’t know what this year is going to bring but we don’t want to be alone or not have had a hand in our election process (as faulty as it may be) as it unfolds.
Sending you love as you get through this guide, this is just one of many guides out there. Please use as many as align with your values. As you advocate for what you believe, we are here advocating for you.
Let’s get into it.
Guide by Laura Herrera
Local Level
Local Level
CITY COUNCILS AND MAYORS
Simply put, members of the city councils and mayors draft and vote on city laws and appoint certain municipal officers and employees. The services that impact your life on a daily basis (think garbage disposal, street maintenance, local law enforcement and business developments) are voted on by your local city councils. Even number LA City Council Districts
Districts 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14
59 out of 88 cities in LA County including the City of Los Angeles have city council races on the ballot. Over two-thirds of the County cities are on the ballot! WOAH!
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
LAUSD is:The LARGEST school district in the state andThe SECOND LARGEST in the countyServes almost 564,000 students, 26,000 teachers, and 75,000 employeesDivided into 7 districts, each represented by a board member who oversees a budget of $18.8 billion. For reference, the budget in 2020 was $7.56 billion. BIG STUFF!
*Odd number LAUSD districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are on the ballot.
44 unified school districts including LAUSD in LA County are on the ballot.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Los Angeles Community College District is a 7 member board who are elected to serve four-year terms. It’s the largest community college district in the United States and is one of the largest in the world serving more than 3 million studentsLACCD educates almost 3 times as many Latino students and nearly 4 times as many Black students as all of the University of California campuses combined. 80% of LACCD students are from underserved communitiesThe Board of Trustees are the governs the LACCD which consists of 9 Community Colleges and covers an area of more than 882 square miles*Odd number districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are on the ballot.
12 total community college boards including LACCD in LA County are on the ballot.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is the largest local prosecutorial office in the United States.The DA oversees a staff of roughly 1,000 lawyers, 300 investigators and 800 support staff.The office prosecutes everything from misdemeanors to felonies in an area covering more than 4,000 square miles, from the Antelope Valley to Long Beach and from Pomona to Malibu.The race is countywide.
SUPERIOR COURT
Each County has its own Superior Court, which handles ALL civil and criminal court cases. There are over 1,700 full time equivalent Superior Court judges in the state. They serve six-year terms.5 judge seats are on the ballot.
Check out who’s running on LAvote.gov → Voting & Electrons → Current & Upcoming Elections → November 5, 2024 General Election
Helpful resource on LAvote.gov → Final List of Qualified Candidates to Appear on the Ballot
You can see the names of candidates by name and other offices on the ballot like local school districts, Water Districts Boards, Health Care Districts and more.
— Laura Herrera
Federal & State Level
Federal & State Level
US CONGRESS
There are 15 Congressional seats in LA County on the ballot. They:Enact laws, fund government functions and programs, hold hearings to inform the legislative process and provide oversight to the Executive BranchServe two year terms
17 US Congressional Districts in LA County are on the ballot
US SENATE
After the death of Dianne Feinstein, there are two contests for US Senator. One to fill the term until January 2025 and one full 4 year term.There are 2 US Senators representing California and 100 total senators in the United States. They:Take action on federal bills, resolutions, amendments, motions, nominations, and treaties by votingServe six-year terms
STATE SENATE
There are 40 State Senators in California. They:Pass legislation and the budget for CaliforniaEach senator represents about 988,086 Californians per districtServe 4 year term
5 State Senate Districts in LA County are on the ballot
STATE ASSEMBLY
There are 80 State Assemblymembers in California. They:Pass legislation and the budget for CaliforniaEach Assemblymember represents approximately 475,000 CaliforniansSServe two-year terms
24 Assembly Districts in LA County are on the ballot
US PRESIDENT
In a General Election, your political party preference does not determine who appears on the ballot. You will see and be able to vote for the Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates for the 6 Political Parties: Democratic, Republican, American Independent, Green, Libertarian, and Peace and Freedom.Just remember one thing: “Vote for the administration you’d prefer in power as you continue to protest.” The work doesn’t end on November 5 or January 20, that’s when it restarts. Vote for people that give us a fighting chance to be heard and affect change. Your vote is not a blanket acceptance of all their actions and beliefs, but it’s a vote of confidence for them to do the work they promised while we continue to fight.
— Laura Herrera
Local Measures & State Propositions
Local Measures & State Propositions
LA COUNTY (*** is our rec, take it or leave it! Your vote, your choice! <3)
MEASURE A: HOMELESSNESS SERVICES AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Measure A would repeal and replace the existing 1⁄4 cent sales tax to fund homelessness that was approved by voters in 2017, and replace it with a 1⁄2 cent sales tax that funds both the homeless response as well as critical affordable housing and tenant protections that serve a larger population of County residents.NO VOTE MEANS
Measure H would stay in place as a 1⁄4 cent sales tax used to fund homelessness and will expire in 2027.MEASURE E: CONSOLIDATED FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND INFRASTRUCTURE ORDINANCE
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Measure E authorizes an annual parcel tax of $0.06 per square foot of most parcel improvements, generating an estimated $152 million per year that has to be used to hire new first responders and upgrade emergency infrastructure.NO VOTE MEANS
The County will not raise the annual parcel tax and funding for the fire department remains funded solely within the current general fund budget.MEASURE G: PROPOSED COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT
YES VOTE MEANS
Measure G would allow the county to amend its charter to increase the total number of supervisors to 9, instead of the current 5. It would also create an executive position, “ Chief Executive Officer,” who would essentially become “the mayor of the county,” who would be selected by LA County voters. It also establishes an ethics commission and a legislative analyst, which would review possible policies for the county.NO VOTE MEANS ****
The composition of the LA County Board of Supervisors remains the same. Keep in mind the scale of LA County. More people live in LA County than 40 states in the USA! Currently, there are 5 County Supervisors for LA County and serve four-year terms.
They:
• Are the one legislative body for the whole County of over 10 million residents
• Are the primary local decision makers for the 10% of Angelenos who live in unincorporated areas (aka not official cities).
• Oversee an almost $43 billion-dollar budget, up from $35 billion in 2020Helpful resource on LAvote.gov → Measures Appearing on the Ballot
You can see the other measures that are on the ballot specific to certain cities and districts.
31 of the 88 cities in LA County have measures on the ballot
33 school districts have a measure on the ballot
CA State Props
CA State Props
LA COUNTY (*** is our rec, take it or leave it! Your vote, your choice! <3)
PROP 2: AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACILITIES. LEGISLATIVE STATUTE
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 2 would provide $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges to renovate, fix and construct facilities by borrowing $10 billion bond.NO VOTE MEANS
The state would not borrow this bond and would need to pay for school repairs out of the California annual budget.PROP 3: CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO MARRIAGE. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 3 would ensure the right to same-sex marriage into the California constitution, repealing Proposition 8 — a measure approved by voters in 2008 that defined marriage as between a man and a woman.NO VOTE MEANS
The state constitution language will remain unchanged and out of date with current federal law.PROP 4: AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR SAFE DRINKING WATER, WILDLIFE PREVENTION, AND PROTECTING COMMUNITIES AND NATURAL LANDS FROM CLIMATE RISKS. LEGISLATIVE STATUTE
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 4 would authorize $10 billion in debt to spend on environmental and climate projects, with the biggest chunk, $1.9 billion, for drinking water improvements. The bond prioritizes lower-income communities, and those most vulnerable to climate change, and requires annual audits.NO VOTE MEANS
The state would not authorize the funds to cost the state $400 million a year for 40 years to total $16 billion dollars.PROP 5: ALLOWS LOCAL BONDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE WITH 55% VOTER APPROVAL. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 5 would make it easier for local governments and cities to fund affordable housing and infrastructure by lowering the supermajority requirement to 55% for local bond measures.NO VOTE MEANS
The state would retain the requirement for local governments and cities to require two-thirds support for local measures to pass when borrowing money for housing and infrastructure projects.PROP 6: ELIMINATES CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION ALLOWING INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE FOR INCARCERATED PERSONS. LEGISLATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 6 would prohibit the state from punishing inmates with involuntary work assignments and from disciplining those who refuse to work. Instead, state prisons could set up a volunteer work assignment program to take time off sentences in the form of credits. It would let county or city ordinances set up a pay scale for inmates in local jails.NO VOTE MEANS
The state would not change its current forced labor practices where most inmates earn less than 74 cents an hour.PROP 32: RAISES MINIMUM WAGE. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 32 would raise the minimum wage to $17 for the remainder of 2024, and $18 an hour starting in January 2025 — a raise from the current $16. Small businesses with 25 or fewer employees would be required to start paying at least $17 next year, and $18 in 2026. If passed, California will have the highest minimum wage in the country.NO VOTE MEANS
Minimum wage in California will remain at $16 an hour.PROP 33: EXPANDS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ AUTHORITY TO ENACT RENT CONTROL ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES VOTE MEANS ****
Proposition 33 would allow cities to control rents on any type of housing – including single-family homes and new apartments, and for new tenants like Los Angeles and San Francisco.NO VOTE MEANS
California retains Costa-Hawkins law limits where cities cannot set rent control on single-family homes or apartments built after 1995 and landlords are free to set their own rental rates when new tenants move in, with the exception of LA and SF.PROP 34: RESTRICTS SPENDING OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG REVENUES BY CERTAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES VOTE MEANS
Proposition 34 would require some California providers to spend at least 98% of that net drug sale revenue on “direct patient care.” Providers that don’t risk having their state license and tax-exempt status revoked and losing out on government contracts. Weirdly, the proposition doesn’t apply to all providers — only The AIDS Healthcare FoundationNO VOTE MEANS ****
Federal law remains that gives health care providers a deal: Serve low-income and at-risk patients and get a discount on pharmaceuticals. Providers that make use of the current program can turn around and sell those drugs at retail rates. Their profits can then be used to expand their healthcare services to disadvantaged groups.PROP 35: PROVIDES PERMANENT FUNDING FOR MEDI-CAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.
YES VOTE MEANS
Proposition 35 would require the state to spend the money from a tax on health care plans on Medi-Cal, the public insurance program for low-income Californians and people with disabilities. BUT it doesn’t necessarily guarantee Medi-Cal gets sufficiently funded. The revenue actually comes from a federal government reimbursement program, which has to approve the tax and could change the rules at any time — and has in the past. This is a risky way to fund Medi-Cal.NO VOTE MEANS ****
The state would not authorize this particular tax revenue to cover Medi-Cal program expenses.PROP 36: ALLOWS FELONY CHARGES AND INCREASES SENTENCES FOR CERTAIN DRUG AND THEFT CRIMES. INITIATIVE STATUTE .
YES VOTE MEANS
Proposition 36 would reclassify some misdemeanor theft and drug crimes as felonies and take millions of dollars from drug treatment, mental health, education, and victims services and funnel it into the budget for state prisons. It would also create a new category of crime — a “treatment-mandated felony.” People who don’t contest the charges could complete drug treatment instead of going to prison, but if they don’t finish treatment, they still face up to three years in prison.NO VOTE MEANS ****
The state would retain laws from the voter approved Prop 47 criminal justice reform
— Laura Herrera
More Resources
More Resources
LAvote.gov-If you’re an LA County voter, this is the holy grail of info!
Find a vote center, Vote-by-Mail (VBM) drop box, track your ballot, create an Interactive Sample Ballot, deep dive on candidate information like candidate statements and more!
How to Vote or Cast Your Ballot
Hot Voting Tips to Remember
Vote Centers are open:
October 26 - November 4 from 10am to 7pm, Election Day November 5 from 7am to 8pm
VBM Drop Boxes are open 24/7 through Election Day at 8pm
As long as your VBM is postmarked, mailed, dropped off at a vote center or in a drop box by 8pm on Election Day IT COUNTS!
Other Voter Guides We Like
Cal Matters 2024 Voter Guide- You’ll feel smart AF if you use this nonpartisan guide with videos to explain each proposition in 1 minute and it’s available in Spanish too! It’s the best for unbiased information.
LAist Voter Game Plan- Super cool and super good voter guide almost on par with this one ;)
Vote 411- League of Women Voters new voter guide that you can customize by your address
@latimes.404- Def my favorite account on Instagram
Endorsements and Recommendations
LA Times Endorsements - Always a reliable source for candidate choices and measure recommendations, but you need a subscription to see them.
LA Forward Endorsements-Super comprehensive endorsements for ALL races in all cities in the County if you like a progressive choices including judges and measures! HELPFUL!
LA Progressive Voter Guide- Pretty good for progressive choices across LA County and statewide measures
KnockLA Voter Guide- Pretty detailed explanations for candidates races across the County and ballot initiatives
Courage California Voters Guide- Statewide progressive organization that gives you your specific ballot recommendations by address
DSA LA Voter Guide - via Sarah, I have a lot of folks I admire who have recommended this guide