Voters likely to have their work cut out
CITY HALL — When voters hit the ballot booths on Nov. 7, not only will they be confronted with the tasks of selecting a governor, and other state and federal lawmakers, they’ll also be asked to determine who will represent them locally on the City Council, the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified school board and other elected bodies.
But they won’t be done yet. Voters must navigate through a myriad of 13 statewide ballot initiatives, four local measures and a $268 million bond to help repair and upgrade local schools and other district facilities.
Political pundits believe the ballot could be one of the longest and most challenging in the state’s history, putting pressure on voters to become educated like never before.
“This is going to be incredibly confusing for voters,” said Matt Klink, vice president of Cerrell & Association, a political consulting firm. “We are dealing with some pretty complex subjects and many voters are going to get election overload, and when voters do that, they tend to just vote ‘no’ on everything.”
Local measures could be cast aside because of voter fatigue, Klink warned.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, voters need to become educated about the issues. Here’s a brief look at the local initiatives and bond forecast, with more detailed stories to follow as the campaign season heats up.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 12, 2006. Read the original PDF.