Early voting locations in Sonoma County?

[courtneyarnold]

Hello, Waccovites,

Does anyone know where early voting is being conducted in SoCo, and what the days/hours are?

Many thanks,
C

["Mad" Miles]

Does anyone know where early voting is being conducted in SoCo, and what the days/hours are?

Many thanks,
C

Courtney,

I am unaware of any method to "vote early" in Sonoma County, other than absentee / mail ballot. The deadline to apply to get one of those for this election was 10/28/08, last Tuesday.

The only other method to vote is to go to your assigned polling place on election day between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and vote.

The "early voting" you read and hear about in the news is in other states. I do not think that option is available in California.

My fellow waccobbites, If I'm wrong about this, please correct me.

But I follow these matters fairly closely and the deadline date I got off of my official Sample Ballot from the Registrar of Voters for the County of Sonoma.

If you have additional questions try: www.sonoma-county.org/regvoter (https://www.sonoma-county.org/regvoter)

"Mad" Miles

:burngrnbounce:


Vote McKinney / Clemente for President / Vice-President!!!

Green Party of the United States of America

A Black Woman and A Latina!! Both Progressive. How cool it that?!

https://www.gp.org/index.php (https://www.gp.org/index.php)

[courtneyarnold]

Thanks, MadMiles, for the reply. I actually answered my own question, though, by calling around and getting in touch with an actual person at the County Registrar of Voters.

You're right that the mail-in ballot is our only early voting option, but as it turns out it didn't actually have to be filed by mail. Any registered voter can go into the Registrar's main office at 435 Fiscal Dr. in Santa Rosa and fill out the paper ballot there.

This is HIGHLY recommended for a few reasons. First, voting on paper avoids the risks of any computer "error" or tampering. Second, if you go before election day you may have the opportunity to clear up any unexpected obstacles in time for your vote to actually be counted.

My father (a longtime registered voter) went in for early voting a couple of days ago (not in Sonoma County) and learned that he had been placed on an "ineligible" list. It seems that this can now happen for reasons as benign as your using a middle name on your voter registration, but just a middle initial on your driver's license...and is often the result of clerical error, not even your own doing! Because he went in early he was able to get the problem sorted out in time to vote...but this can apparently happen to ANYONE (or, rather, anyone who is likely to not vote Republican). This is just one of the many voter purging scams the RNC is running to steal this election, too.

Vote early, and don't forget to bring your government-issue photo ID in case anyone challenges you!

[Dixon]

Hey Miles--

You know more about politics than I do, so advise me--

I'm having trouble deciding between McKinney/Clemente and Nader/Gonzalez, but have been leaning in the Nader direction because McKinney's recent tenure as a Democrat makes me doubt whether she's quite as progressive as Nader. Is she? If so, I'll accept your gender/race argument and vote for her.

Thanks;

Dixon



Vote McKinney / Clemente for President / Vice-President!!!

Green Party of the United States of America

A Black Woman and A Latina!! Both Progressive. How cool it that?!

["Mad" Miles]

I'm having trouble deciding between McKinney/Clemente and Nader/Gonzalez, but have been leaning in the Nader direction because McKinney's recent tenure as a Democrat makes me doubt whether she's quite as progressive as Nader. Is she?
Dixon

Yo Dixon,

Well as far as their individual politics are concerned, it's a toss-up. They're all good. I'm voting for McKinney/Clemente because they are the GP candidates as chosen at our convention last June. It is a vote to support the party for me, more than a vote for a specific candidate.

Gonzalez was elected to the SF Supe's as a Green. He has "left the reservation" to run with Ralph. Ralph has played footsy with the GP since the lead up to '04. It's a complicated story that has led to much internal strife in the party.

I support the GP as a hoped for alternative to corporate funded and controlled mainstream parties. But as long as there is no proportional representation, no Instant Runoff / Voter Preference Voting, there will be a monopoly of two parties in the American system. This is a structural obstacle that will not be removed without constitutional amendment. And it takes those in power to make that happen, and since the current arrangement benefits their lock on power, how soon do you think they'll get on board with such fundamental change?!

I vote for alternative candidates to send a message. And since I am in a state that is pretty much guaranteed to go Democratic for the presidential election, called a "safe state", I have the luxury of voting alternative without fearing that my vote might swing it for the right.

I support the Green Party, because in spite of our structural and internicene confict problems, we represent the best values (see "10 Key Values" on the GP website) of any political party on the scene for the last two and a half decades.

Like I said, it's complicated, but what I do is vote for whoever or whatever best represents my goals and values, while tempering that decision with strategic considerations as to what the likely results of my choice will be.

Voting for Nader / Gonzalez are votes for the views and personality of Nader. Which is not a bad choice.

Voting for McKinney / Clemente is voting for their views as well as the views of the Green Party of the United States. Practically this means keeping the GP on the ballot for the next time. Symbolically it means keeping the dream of an environmentalist and social justice oriented third party alive. That's why I choose McKinney / Clemente.

Hey, when the Republicans break up over cultural warfare issues, maybe some of their ultra-right wing libertarian base will see the folly of their laissez faire free market capitalist economic theory (ala Alan Greenspan, "Whoops!? I didn't see this economic collapse in the international credit markets coming. Maybe I should go back to the drawing board..." Paraphrase, not a direct quote.) and come around the far end of the political spectrum and join the left in our call for economic justice and equal opportunity access!

Who knows?

Stranger things have happened!

Hope this helps.

"Mad" Miles

:burngrnbounce:

[msfiddlestix]

Early Voting in Sonoma County is done at the County Registrars office (in Santa Rosa) generally speaking during normal business hours. You'll need to check if there are extending hours on the 4th but I wouldn't bank on that.

I discovered early voting in Sonoma County just before the 2006 elections, when I learned (after the deadline for mail in ballot applications) I would be back east on the day of the elections.

I rather enjoyed voting early at the office like that, at least it was nice knowing i could..

good luck.. and don't forget to vote!

/heidi



Hello, Waccovites,

Does anyone know where early voting is being conducted in SoCo, and what the days/hours are?

Many thanks,
C

[Dixon]

Thanks for your knowledgeable response, Miles. I knew I could count on you. You've convinced me to vote McKinney/Clemente.

Dixon