Tuesday, Jan. 22, is the deadline to register in the Feb. 5 presidential primary.
Besides the presidential contests, there are seven state propositions on the ballot, as well as some local measures, including a $165 million bond measure for local public high schools.
The state propositions range from funding community colleges and changing rules on term limits for legislators, to four measures on Indian gaming compacts.
A discussion of these propositions, led by the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County, will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at the Redwood City Public Library, 1044 Middlefield Road in Redwood City. The forum is free and open to the public. For more information, call 780-7026 or go to www.rcpl.info.
Voter registration
If you’re not registered and you want to vote, you’d better hurry. Voter registration cards must be postmarked on or before Jan. 22. Cards can be obtained from San Mateo County elections offices or any public library, city hall, post office or DMV office. The elections office at 555 County Center in Redwood City (at the corner of Bradford Street and Hamilton Avenue) will be open until 8 p.m. Jan. 22 to accept last-minute registration forms.
Vote by mail
Voting has already started for those who choose to vote by mail. Or you can cast a vote (paper or electronic, your choice) prior to Feb. 5 at a voting center at 555 County Center (corner of Bradford Street and Hamilton Avenue) in Redwood City. The center is open weekdays during normal business hours and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on two Saturdays: Jan. 26 and Feb. 2.If you want to vote by mail and are not registered as a permanent “vote by mail” voter, fill out the form on the back of the sample ballot and voter information pamphlet that registered voters receive from the county.
Voter guides
There’s lots of information available on the Feb. 5 primary, including online — smartvoter.org and shapethefuture.org — and in print.In addition to the voter information pamphlets that registered voters receive from the county and state, there is a nonpartisan Easy Voter Guide, a collaboration of the League of Women Voters of California, the California State Library and others.
The guide is meant to make sense of the often daunting voting process and to encourage civic engagement. It has information on political parties, candidates, propositions, voting and voter registration.
The print version is available at such locations as the Menlo Park Library at 800 Alma St.; Menlo Park city hall at 701 Laurel St.; the Portola Valley town hall at 765 Portola Road; and at the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County at 713 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park
It’s also available online at easyvoter.org.
The guide is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean. Japanese and Tagalog versions are expected before the Feb. 5 election.
