Seniors and juniors at Oak Park High School who are eligible to vote in the November election are not only choosing the nation’s next president, but are also helping to shape local and state policy. These choices directly impact their quality of life as California residents.
In California, the ballot includes the Senate election between Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey. Specific to Ventura County is the House District 26 election between incumbent Democrat Julia Brownley and Republican Michael Koslow. There are also state senate and assembly races to consider. To learn more about these candidates, visit ballotpedia.org.
For statewide measures, voters can expect 12 ballot propositions specific to California, including four state constitutional amendments. High school students of voting age may be interested in topics such as raising the state’s minimum wage to $18 an hour, pandemic protection, a high school graduation requirement of a personal finance course, local rent control and oil and gas well regulations.
Voters will also vote to ratify changes to the California constitution. Two amendments are infrastructural in nature and concern changing certain voter thresholds required to pass legislation. Referred to as Supermajority, this means that amendments to the California constitution would need to gain a specified level or type of support from voters that surpass a simple majority (over half of representatives supporting a decision) in order to have effect.
“For example, an amendment proposing a two-thirds (66.67%) vote must also be approved by two-thirds of voters,” BallotPedia writes. Currently, California approves initiated constitutional amendments by simple majority, this would change to a supermajority.
In the November elections, voters in California will decide on two measures concerning supermajority requirements for ballot measures:
- An initiative to require new state taxes (proposed by the state legislature) to be passed through a two-thirds legislative vote as well as voter approval and new local taxes to be passed through a two-thirds vote of the electorate.
- Legislatively referred amendment lowering the vote threshold from 66.67% to 55% for local special taxes, to fund public infrastructure and housing projects.
One amendment proposes the repeal of a 1950 Article that mandates local voter approval for government-funded low-rent housing projects. This provides government funding or assistance for low-income rental housing projects developed, constructed, or acquired without a local referendum.
Though same-sex marriage has been legalized in all fifty states since 2015, California’s constitution still reflects language that defines marriage as “a union between one man and one woman.” A fourth amendment revises the language in the California constitution to say: “(a) The right to marry is a fundamental right. (b) This section is in furtherance of both of the following: (1) The inalienable rights to enjoy life and liberty and to pursue and obtain safety, happiness, and privacy guaranteed by Section 1. (2) The rights to due process and equal protection guaranteed by Section 7. [5]”
For more information, including details on local and school board elections, visit ballotpedia.org for objective information on national and statewide elections, politics and policy. Ballotpedia also provides an online sample ballot tailored to where one is registered to vote.
