About This Guide

Welcome || Questions and Answers || Disclaimer || Media
California Voter Foundation


	
March, 1996

	
Welcome to the 1996 California Online Voter Guide! The purpose of this site is
	to provide California voters with the information you need to make informed choices
	in this year's elections.

	
The Internet has grown considerably since the California Voter Foundation's first
	online voter guide in November 1994. Two years ago, our site was one of just a handful
	of voter education sites on the Internet. Now, there are literally hundreds of web
	sites dedicated to the 1996 election, sponsored by campaigns, news organizations,
	government agencies and other non-profit organizations.

	
Our goal this year is to help California voters make sense of the election and
	help you find your way to the information you need as quickly as possible. This site
	will be continuously growing and expanding throughout 1996, so please check back
	regularly. You can help us provide complete and comprehensive links by suggesting
	web sites we should link to, keeping in mind that our focus is on elections taking
	place in California. Please email your suggestions.

	
This year, we are partnering with the Secretary of State's office to ensure that
	together we provide voters with complete access to the wide range of voter information
	available. The 1996 California Online Voter Guide complements two other related sites:
	The 1996 Primary Election
	Server, and the Secretary
	of State's Homepage.

	
CVF is grateful to the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Pacific
	Telesis Group, and Intel for their financial
	support of this voter guide. We are also grateful to the California
	Journal for contributing its excellent ballot measure summaries to our guide,
	as well as the numerous organizations and individuals who dedicate their time, money
	and energy toward creating and maintaining the web sites we've linked to throughout
	this voter guide. Much credit for this site is also due to the team at Capitol Web
	Works, whose hard work, talent and skill shows through every web site they develop.

	
The California Voter Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated
	to shaping a more informed and engaged California electorate. For more information
	about CVF and our online voter education projects, please visit our homepage.
	Please send comments, criticism and feedback.

	
Happy surfing, and remember to vote on or before March 26th!

	
Kim Alexander

	Executive Director

	California Voter Foundation

	

	

	

	

	
Questions and Answers about the March 1996 California Primary

	
Why is the Primary in March instead of
	June?


	

		
For the first time ever, this year's California primary is being held in March,
		rather than June. The date was changed with the hope that an earlier primary would
		allow California voters to have a greater voice in selecting Presidential candidates.

	

	
What's going to be on the ballot?


	

		
In addition to the Presidential election, the March ballot also includes state
		legislative races, congressional races, and a dozen statewide ballot measures. There
		are no U.S. Senate races this year in California, nor any statewide contests for
		offices such as Governor and Lt. Governor.

	

	
Who represents me? Which districts do
	I live in?


	

		
As a California voter, you are represented by numerous people on the federal,
		state and local levels of government. California has 52 representatives in the U.S.
		House of Representatives (more than any other state!), plus two U.S. senators: Dianne
		Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Each member of the House represents about 540,000 people
		and is elected to a two-year term. You can use this zip
		code search to find out who represents you in Congress.

		
The California State Legislature consists of 80 Assembly members and 40 state
		senators:


		

		
You are also represented by numerous local officials, such as city council members,
		county supervisors, and school board representatives. In recent years, there has
		been an increase in the number of special districts created to serve specific community
		needs, such as fire, water, utility and library services. Your County Sample Ballot
		features information all on the candidates who are running in districts that you
		live in. Your County Sample Ballot also provides information on local ballot measures
		that may appear on your ballot. If you'd like to find out more information about
		who your local representatives are, contact your County
		Elections office. You can also check the local
		races and measures section of this guide to see if your county elections office
		has its own web site.

	

	
Who can vote in the Primary election?


	

		
One purpose of the primary election is to allow members of political parties to
		choose who their nominee will be in the General election. Under current law, voters
		may only cast ballots for candidates of their party in the Primary. (Proposition
		198 on the March ballot would change California's law to allow for an "open
		primary", which means that you can vote in any partisan primary, regardless
		of your party affiliation.) In the November General election, you can cast a ballot
		for any candidate of any party.

		
If you are not registered to a particular party, you can and should still vote
		in the Primary! There are numerous non-partisan local races, as well as state and
		local ballot measures up for your consideration.

	

	

	

	

	

	
Disclaimer

	
The California Voter Foundation contacted every congressional, legislative and
	state ballot measure campaign and asked for web page addresses. All campaigns are
	invited to submit their web addresses anytime.

	
News articles that appear in this guide are republished with permission and may
	not be redistributed without permission from the publisher.

	
The California Voter Foundation and the Secretary of State assume no responsibility
	for the contents of any page linked through our site. If you have comments or questions
	about sites we have linked to, please direct them to the administrators of those
	sites.

	

	

	

	

	
Media

	
California Online Voter Guide Debut
	-- News Conference with California
	Secretary of State (March 5, 1996)

	

	

	


	


	
Home |
	About This Guide | Search