Contributing Writer

The pandemic and the contentious, dizzying run up to the election has had many of us reaching for aspirin, antacids and tranquilizers, not to mention many adult beverages. But let’s put that aside for a moment. Have you ever wondered why we vote on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November? 

There are a few reasons why we vote on a Tuesday and a major one of them has a to do with the horse and buggy. The story of our Election Day starts with the Founding Fathers and the Constitutional Convention. It had been a long process hammering out the Constitution and the delegates had not made up their minds on a lot of things. One unanswered question was when the presidential election should be held. Because the delegates left that undecided, it was left up to the states to set their own voting dates. This made sure there were several decades of electoral chaos. 

Between 1788 and 1845, there was a “crazy quilt of elections” held all across the country at different times to pick the electors of the Electoral College. These were the white, male property owners who would cast their votes for president on the first Wednesday of December. In 1792, Congress passed a law mandating that the state’s selection of the members of the Electoral College must be held within a 34-day period before the first Wednesday of December, so most of these elections took place in November. You have to remember that back in the early days of the United States, our society was mostly agrarian. In November, the harvest was finished and winter hadn’t yet set in, which made it the perfect time to vote. 

Also in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the pace of presidential elections was not a huge issue. Communication was slow and it took election results weeks to be announced. In the mid-19th century, Congress decided it was time to standardize a voting date, but what would work for the most people? It is important to remember that I’m talking about men voting; women were not allowed to vote in America’s early years.

It was not out of the ordinary for folks to travel for an entire day to the nearest county seat, which is where ballot boxes were, to cast their vote. They would then need an entire day to return to their homes. That made Monday unacceptable, because it would require people to travel to the polls by buggy on the Sunday Sabbath. Wednesday was also not an option, because it was market day, and farmers would not be able to make it to the polls. 

Finally, Congress decided that eligible citizens could take the first Monday of November off to travel, vote on Tuesday, and then take the rest of the day to return to their farms. So, Tuesday would be the day that Americans would vote. 

Then, in 1845, Congress legislated that the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November would be Election Day for future presidential elections. Congress also stipulated that Election Day should be the first Tuesday in November after the first Monday so that the day did not conflict with Nov. 1, the Catholic holy day, All Saints Day.

Under the new law, the first election took place on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 1848. Whig Party candidate Zachary Taylor won out over Democrat Lewis Cass and Free-Soil candidate, and former president, Martin Van Buren. Taylor’s running mate was Millard Fillmore, who became the nation’s 13th president on July 10, 1850, when Taylor suddenly died.

There is definitely a lack of romance behind a Tuesday election day. But it is the intention, not the day of the week, that is important. America’s decision-makers required a national voting day because it speaks to the heart of American democracy. It hits at the crux of the American promise that, “all are created equal.” Tuesday was the day most convenient for every class, every heritage, and all industries. It was about creating the highest possible turnout on Voting Day. It was and is about empowering anyone who wanted a say in their nation’s political destiny to have the chance to speak up.

Today, there are, of course, other options for folks, like absentee and early voting. Still, there are voters who cannot cast ballots unless they can find a way to get to the polls on Tuesday. In15 states you do not have an opportunity to vote early or by an absentee ballot or by mail, which means you have to vote on Tuesday. Many critics believe it is ridiculous to vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

But moving the polling day turns out to be no easy task. The weekend voting bill keeps dying in committee. And there is also, of course, no guarantee that moving Election Day would change voter turnout. There’s the simple fact that Americans have gotten used to voting on Tuesday. We are a very traditional county, and that became a tradition a long time ago. 

If you have not voted already, I hope you all get out and exercise your voice in our American democracy and vote!

The post Holiday History: Why we vote on first Tuesday (after the first Monday) of November appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

With several weeks until the Presidential General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Santa Barbara County elections officials announced recently that more than 30 official ballot drop box locations will be available throughout the county for the upcoming vote. 

“The ballot drop boxes provide a safe, secure and easy way to return a completed and signed ballot,” said Joe Holland, Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters. “If voters are concerned about postal delivery delays, I encourage them to use an official drop box to return their ballot; the locations will be listed in their voter’s guide and on our website.”

All registered voters will receive their ballot in the mail in early October. Voters are encouraged to vote their ballot and return it early. Drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day, beginning Oct. 5 until 8 p.m. on Election Day. A list of all drop box locations in Santa Barbara County will be included with the vote ballot and posted on the website at SBCVote.com. 

“Using the ballot drop box ensures that the ballot will arrive at the Elections Office in time to be processed and counted timely,” added Holland.

Due to the pandemic, all registered voters in California will automatically receive a ballot in the mail around the beginning of October. If a voter does not receive their ballot by Oct. 12, they should immediately contact the Santa Barbara County Registrar of Voters office at 805-568-2200.  

Voters may mail their ballot with no postage required, postmarked by Election Day, Nov. 3. The Postal Service advises voters to mail their ballots no later than Oct. 27 to reach the elections office in time to be counted. 

To make address and other updates to voter registration, or for eligible citizens to register to vote, go to www.registertovote.ca.gov. Voters can verify the accuracy of their voter registration at sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status or sbcvote.com. 

Santa Barbara County Elections is staffing approximately 35 in-person voting sites over four days for those who would like additional services including language assistance or a replacement ballot. These sites will be open Oct. 31 through Election Day. Facial coverings will be required and voters should expect a socially distanced waiting line.

Voters have been assigned to polling place locations that will be listed on the back cover of the voter’s County Voter Information Guide. Beginning Oct. 5, voters can also use the Sample Ballot and Polling Place Look-Up tool at SBCVote.com. 

The three election offices in the county will be open for voting, voter registration and voter questions from Oct. 5 through Election Day. 

Office locations and regular business hours:

Santa Barbara

4440-A Calle Real

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays

Lompoc

401 E. Cypress St., Room 102*

8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays

*To better serve voters, the Lompoc Office will move to the Lompoc Veteran’s Memorial Building at 100 E. Locust Ave. starting Oct. 22.

Santa Maria

511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Suite 134

8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, except holidays

The post More than 30 countywide secure ballot drop boxes available Oct. 5 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Election Day is Nov. 6, but the results of many local races may not be final for a week or more.

You can stay up to date on the outcome of city council, school board, special district and other elections by going to the Santa Barbara County Elections Division website at www.sbcvote.com.

With multiple candidates competing for the same seats locally — for example, 11 names on the ballot for three school board seats in the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District — the top finishers are often separated by so few votes that more counting is necessary.

Initial results are posted on the county website soon after the polls close, when they are also posted at the department’s office at 4440-A Calle Real in Santa Barbara. However, the semi-official statement of votes cast isn’t posted until midnight or later, after ballots are received from all polling places.

The county then posts an updated count by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9.

However, the final vote totals are not posted until after the results are certified. The county’s deadline to do that is 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.

For information about elections for statewide and national offices, go to the California Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.ca.gov.

The post Find out the results of the Nov. 6 election appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

In prior years, a voter who missed the voter registration deadline didn’t get to vote in that election. Conditional Voter Registration, or Same Day Voter Registration, changes the game. Same Day Voter Registration allows a voter to register and vote on the same day after the deadline.

Voters who missed the registration deadline of October 22 but still want to vote in the November 6 election must visit their county’s elections office between now and November 6 to register, vote and seal their ballot in an envelope on site.

Voters may also register to vote online during this time frame, but they will have to visit their county’s elections office to obtain and vote their ballot. All votes will be counted after the elections official verifies the voter’s registration and confirms the voter has not yet voted elsewhere in the current election.

While voters who register late will not be able to vote at their traditional polling place, they will not lose their opportunity to cast their ballot.

Voters can verify their voter registration online at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/

Office locations and regular business hours:

Santa Barbara, 4440-A Calle Real

8 am to 5 pm Monday – Friday, except holidays

Lompoc, 401 E. Cypress St, Room 102
9 am to 4 pm (closed 12-1) Monday – Friday, except holidays

Santa Maria, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Suite 134
8 am to 5 pm (closed 12-1) Monday – Friday, except holidays

The three election offices will also be open Saturday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Election Day, November 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The post It’s not too late to register to vote appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday, May 21 to be eligible to vote in the June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election. If a voter has moved or changed his/her name, they must update their registration by completing a new voter registration form.

The Santa Barbara County Elections Office sent ballots out to permanent vote by mail voters and voters that live in mail ballot precincts on May 7.  County Voter Information Guides began mailing on April 27.  If a voter did not receive a ballot they were expecting or a County Voter Information Guide, we encourage them to contact our office at (800) SBC-VOTE or (805) 568-2200 to verify their registration status.  Voters can also verify their voter registration athttps://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/.

Fire and debris flow victims may choose to keep their current residence on file if they plan to move back.  Voters may have set up temporary mailing addresses through the United States Postal Service; however, we suggest updating their registration with their updated mailing address to ensure they are receiving election mailings, including ballots if they normally receive their ballot by mail.

If a voter is a permanent vote by mail voter, they may temporarily update their mailing address, by using the Notification of Seasonal Address form available on our website at http://sbcassessor.com/Elections/Forms.aspx.

Citizens can register online at http://registertovote.ca.gov prior to midnight on May 21 or complete a mail-in voter registration form available at local libraries, post offices or DMV offices.  Voter Registration Cards that are postmarked on or before May 21 will be accepted for the June 5 election.

If a voter is unable to register by the May 21, 2018 deadline, they have the choice to register and vote through Election Day using the Conditional Voter Registration option, which allows them to register to vote and vote a provisional ballot. Conditional Voter Registration is only available in person at one of the election offices listed below.

Three election offices in the county will be open Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Monday, May 21 until 8 p.m. for voter registration and ballot issuance. Office locations and regular business hours follow:

Santa Barbara, 4440-A Calle Real

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, except holidays

Lompoc, 401 E. Cypress St, Room 102
9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday, except holidays

Santa Maria, 511 E. Lakeside Parkway, Suite 134
8 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday, except holidays

The post Deadline to register to vote is May 21 appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Staff Report

The public is invited to a panel discussion on voting rights between noon and 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Central Library.

Recent changes by the U.S. Supreme Court have made laws possible in many states that indirectly and directly lead to voter suppression, particularly voter ID laws, according to the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara. Implementation of voter ID laws can disproportionately affect low-income, elderly, and other underrepresented populations.

At this panel discussion speakers will discuss how and why to protect voting rights, including:

– A brief history of voting rights and voter suppression in the U.S. by Ted Anagnoson, professor emeritus of political science at Cal State LA and a visiting professor at UCSB.

– The impact of gerrymandering and other means of voter suppression on minority voters, and the results of California’s new redistricting process, by Dr. Gregory K. Freeland, professor of political science at California Lutheran University

– Efforts by activists to promote civic engagement, remove barriers, and provide opportunities and information to support Latino and other underrepresented voters, by Marcos Vargas, executive director of the Fund for Santa Barbara.

The forum is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Public Library, and TVSB.

All library programs are free and open to the public.

The post Panel to discuss voting rights, new laws appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System will participate in National Voter Registration Day, a non-partisan voter registration drive on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Volunteers will be available to assist individuals with the registration process in an effort to ensure every eligible voter has an opportunity to register and vote in the 2017 election.

Anyone who wants to register to vote, pre-register to vote or update their name or address on their voter registration may do so at the following locations and times:

• Buellton Library, 140 West Highway 246, Buellton, CA, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, CA, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
• Central Library, 40 East Anapamu, Santa Barbara, CA, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Eastside Library, 1102 East Montecito St, Santa Barbara, CA, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
• Goleta Library, 500 North Fairview Ave, Goleta, CA 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Montecito Library, 1496 East Valley Rd, Montecito, CA, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

• Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Individuals may also register to vote online at any time: http://registertovote.ca.gov/

About National Voter Registration Day

National Voter Registration Day is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of every September by thousands of volunteers, celebrities, organizations, businesses and elected officials from all over the country. This single day of coordinated grassroots, digital and media efforts is aimed at creating a pervasive awareness of voter registration opportunities – reaching hundreds of thousands of new voters who would not register otherwise.

For more details about the National Voter Registration Day movement, visit http://www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org/, Facebook page (www.facebook.com/voterregistrationday) or follow the #VoterRegistrationDay hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

Information about Santa Barbara Public Library System locations, hours, events, and programs is available at SBPLibrary.org. All Library programs are free and open to the public.

The post National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 26, library locations offering sign-ups appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Election results are showing Bruce Porter still holding the lead on the Third Disctrict Supervisor with 6,863 votes and Hartmann at 6,747.

In Buellton’s first Mayoral race Holly Sierra leads 597 over Dave King at 362 votes. Foster Reid is leading with 462 votes in the city council race. 

In Solvang Ryan Toussaint and Hans Duus are leading over Karen Waite and Brian Baca.

Newcomber Karen Jones is leading with Frank Mueller and Barry Marks for the Santa Ynez Community Services District.

Veronica Sandoval and Salvador Avila lead in the College School District.

For full election results log onto SBCvote.com

The post More precincts reporting appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

California voters approved a ballot measure Tuesday allowing recreational marijuana in the nation’s most populous state, handing the legalization movement its biggest victory yet. Voters in eight other states also considered proposals Tuesday to expand legal access to the drug, which is still forbidden by the federal government.

A preliminary exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research showed the measure passed handily.

Proposition 63 was winning with 63 percent of the 3.5 million votes cast.

California’s vote makes the use and sale of recreational cannabis legal along the entire West Coast, giving the legalization movement powerful momentum. That could spark similar efforts in other states and put pressure on federal authorities to ease longstanding rules that classify marijuana as a dangerously addictive drug with no medical benefits.

In addition, Massachusetts voters also legalized the recreational use of marijuana.

California was the first state to approve medical marijuana two decades ago. It was among five states weighing whether to permit pot for adults for recreational purposes. The other states were Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada.

Florida and North Dakota earlier approved medical marijuana measures Tuesday. Arkansas was considering a similar measure and Montana voted on whether to ease restrictions on an existing medical marijuana law.

The other controversial measure was Measure 63, the ammunition restrictions with voters leaning toward expanding some of the nation’s toughest gun control by banning large-capacity ammunition magazines, requiring background checks for ammunition sales and speeding the seizure of firearms from owners who are no longer allowed to own them.

In more measures it looks as though California voters approved proposition giving California prison officials more say in release of prisoners, repeal nearly two-decade-old law limiting bilingual education in schools.

A preliminary exit poll conducted for The Associated Press and television networks by Edison Research found Harris easily defeated her fellow Democrat, U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, to win the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Hillary Clinton also was a big winner in the state, according to the poll, extending to seven the string of Democratic presidential victories in the state that started with her husband in 1992.

More election results will be posted as they come in.

Associated Press writers David Crary in New York and Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco contributed to this report.

The post California voters approve recreational marijuana; and tougher gun laws appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System will participate in National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday September 25, a non-partisan voter registration drive. Volunteers will be available to assist voters with the registration process in an effort to ensure every eligible voter has an opportunity to register and vote in the 2016 election.

Anyone who needs to register to vote or update their name or address on their voter registration may do so at the following locations and times in the Santa Ynez Valley:

Buellton Library, 140 West Highway 246, Buellton, CA, 11 am – 7 pm

Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA, 10 am – 5 pm

Individuals may also register to vote online at any time: http://registertovote.ca.gov/

National Voter Registration Day is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of every September by thousands of volunteers, celebrities, organizations, businesses and elected officials from all over the country. This single day of coordinated grassroots, digital and media efforts is aimed at creating a pervasive awareness of voter registration opportunities – reaching hundreds of thousands of new voters who would not register otherwise.
For more details about the National Voter Registration Day movement, visit www.NationalVoterRegistrationDay.org, Facebook page (www.facebook.com/voterregistrationday) or follow the #VoterRegistrationDay hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

Information about Santa Barbara Public Library System locations, hours, events, and programs is available atSBPLibrary.org. All Library programs are free and open to the public.

The post National Voter Registration Day appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.