by Bay View Publisher Willie Ratcliff
This is the most important election of our lifetimes. WE MUST VOTE 100%.
In San Francisco and the Bay Area, the polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. If you are in line when the polls close, you still can vote. You may take this Bay View Voters Guide into the voting booth with you.
Call (415) 554-4375 in San Francisco or (510) 272-6973 in Alameda County to confirm your registration and polling place – many have changed – and for other information and help with voting. You can also find your polling place and get lots more information specific to your address at www.voteforchange.com.
Do not let your vote be stolen! Take your photo ID to the polls with you – just in case. And in case lines are long, some folks recommend taking along something to eat, maybe a folding chair and a pack of cards to “party” with your line-mates.
Whatever you do, do not leave the polls without casting a vote. Avoid using a provisional ballot if at all possible. Vote a regular ballot and double-check it before it’s scanned.
If you suspect your voting rights or anyone else’s are being threatened, call (866) OUR-VOTE (or 1-866-687-8683). Be sure to report any harassment by police or any effort by anyone to intimidate you or discourage you from voting.
Winning takes work. On Election Day, after you’ve voted and made sure your loved ones have voted, hit the streets and the phones to push the candidates and ballot measures you believe in into the winners’ column. And don’t stop after Nov. 4. That’s when our organizing, our pushing, our demands will win liberty and justice for us and our precious children.
To learn how we arrived at our Voting Guide recommendations, read my editorial, “Bringing democracy to Amerikkka,” along with many more stories about the election on this website. Some of my favorites are “Please don’t feed the PiGE!” “Cindy Sheehan speaks at Bayview Hunters Point Town Hall Meeting,” “What our country desperately needs is a leader who loves us,” “Vote Yes on Prop H: Don’t believe PG&E’s fossil fuel-powered lies,” “Jerry’s Brown-nosin’ with California’s prison guards” and “Barbara Lopez fights for a School Board that looks like San Francisco.”
Here are the Bay View’s recommendations:
NATIONAL CANDIDATES
President of the United States: Barack Obama
Congress, District 8: Cindy Sheehan
Congress, District 12: Barry Hermanson
STATE CANDIDATES
State Assembly, District 12: Fiona Ma
State Assembly, District 13: Tom Ammiano
LOCAL CANDIDATES
Superior Court Judge, Seat 12: Gerardo Sandoval
San Francisco Board of Supervisors, District 1: Eric Mar
SF Board of Supervisors, District 3: Denise McCarthy, Tony Gantner, David Chiu
SF Board of Supervisors, District 4: Dave Ferguson
SF Board of Supervisors, District 5: Ross Mirkarimi
SF Board of Supervisors, District 9: Mark Sanchez, Eric Quezada, David Campos
SF Board of Supervisors, District 11: John Avalos, Randy Knox, Julio Ramos
SF School Board: James Calloway, Sandra Fewer, Barbara Lopez, Norman Yee
Community College Board: Chris Jackson, Bruce Wolfe, Milton Marks
BART Director: Lynnette Sweet
STATE BALLOT MEASURES
State Proposition 1A, High-speed train bond: Yes
State Proposition 2, Farm animal protections: Yes
State Proposition 3, Children’s hospital bonds: Yes
State Proposition 4, Parental notification and wait for abortion: No
State Proposition 5, Treatment not prison: YES
State Proposition 6, Increased police and prison spending and youth incarceration: NO
State Proposition 7, Flawed renewable energy proposal that excludes smaller projects: No
State Proposition 8, Ban on same-gender marriage: NO
State Proposition 9, Restrictions on parole: NO
State Proposition 10, Alternative fuel vehicles bond: No
State Proposition 11, Redistricting commission: No
State Proposition 12, Veterans bonds: Yes
LOCAL BALLOT MEASURES
San Francisco Proposition A, SF General Hospital bonds: Yes
San Francisco Proposition B, Affordable Housing Fund: YES
San Francisco Proposition C, Ban on city employees serving on commissions: No
San Francisco Proposition D, Pier 70 development financing: Yes
San Francisco Proposition E, Recall election reform: No
San Francisco Proposition F, Mayoral election in even-numbered years: Yes
San Francisco Proposition G, Retirement credit for unpaid parental leave: Yes
San Francisco Proposition H, Clean Energy Act: YES
State Proposition I, Independent Ratepayer Advocate: No
State Proposition J, Historic Preservation Commission: Yes
State Proposition K, Decriminalizing sex work: YES
State Proposition L, Funding for Community Justice Center: NO
State Proposition M, Prohibiting harassment of tenants: Yes
State Proposition N, Real estate transfer tax: Yes
State Proposition O, Emergency Response Fee: Yes
State Proposition P, Transportation Authority changes: No
State Proposition Q, Payroll tax changes: Yes
State Proposition R, Renaming sewage plant: No
State Proposition S, Budget set-aside policy: No
State Proposition T, Free and affordable substance abuse treatment: Yes
State Proposition U, No more Iraq war funding: Yes
State Proposition V, Return of JROTC to public high schools: NO
If you have any problems with voting, call Bay View publisher Willie Ratcliff at (415) 671-0789.