News
Last-minute voters have until Tuesday to try to understand and cast their votes on six propositions affecting young children, education, the state lottery, people with mental illness and pay raises for state legislators.
All six of the propositions were put on the ballot by the state Legislature. Five were crafted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in an effort to remedy the state’s precarious budget shortfall.
Some area residents have expressed a lack of interest in the May 19 special election and others have voiced confusion about the propositions and the kind of outcome they will have.
“If I felt I didn’t understand what that outcome was, I just voted no,” said one voter from North San Juan who asked not to be named.
Another Smartsville voter living on a fixed income said she voted “no” for anything that would increase her taxes.
Schwarzenegger said the state will have to make deeper cuts if voters reject the ballot measures, as polls indicate they are inclined to do.
He has proposed such drastic measures as cutting education by $5.4 billion and shortening the school year by 71⁄2 days.
So far voter turnout locally and statewide has proven weak. As of Friday, only about 35 percent of all vote-by-mail voters in Nevada County had cast their ballots.
Statewide polls show voters are inclined to reject all five budget-balancing measures on the ballot.
Only the sixth, which would cap elected officials’ pay during deficit years, is showing a winning majority support.
The special election includes:
• Prop. 1A: Changes the California budget process, limits state spending and increases “rainy day” reserve funds. Nevada County officials worry the special fund could take between $2 million and $5 million from county property tax coffers.
• Prop. 1B: Education funding and payment plan to schools and community colleges beginning in 2011-2012 to replace other payments that could be required earlier.
• Prop. 1C: Lottery Modernization Act — Generates $5 billion to address budget deficit by borrowing against future lottery revenue. Debt service on the borrowing and higher payments to education could make it more difficult to balance the state budget in the future.
Prop. 1D: A temporary redirection of funds for early childhood development programs, formerly approved by voters, to help balance the budget.
Prop. 1E: A temporary reallocation of funding for mental health services, previously approved by voters, to help balance the budget.
Prop. 1F: A “yes” vote means members of the Legislature, the governor and other elected state officials won’t receive salary increases during budget deficit years.
To view polling locations, visit MyNevadaCounty.com; click on Clerk-Recorder & Elections, then Elections Office, then Find Your Polling Place.
Associated Press contributed to this report. To contact Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
All six of the propositions were put on the ballot by the state Legislature. Five were crafted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in an effort to remedy the state’s precarious budget shortfall.
Some area residents have expressed a lack of interest in the May 19 special election and others have voiced confusion about the propositions and the kind of outcome they will have.
“If I felt I didn’t understand what that outcome was, I just voted no,” said one voter from North San Juan who asked not to be named.
Another Smartsville voter living on a fixed income said she voted “no” for anything that would increase her taxes.
Schwarzenegger said the state will have to make deeper cuts if voters reject the ballot measures, as polls indicate they are inclined to do.
He has proposed such drastic measures as cutting education by $5.4 billion and shortening the school year by 71⁄2 days.
So far voter turnout locally and statewide has proven weak. As of Friday, only about 35 percent of all vote-by-mail voters in Nevada County had cast their ballots.
Statewide polls show voters are inclined to reject all five budget-balancing measures on the ballot.
Only the sixth, which would cap elected officials’ pay during deficit years, is showing a winning majority support.
The special election includes:
• Prop. 1A: Changes the California budget process, limits state spending and increases “rainy day” reserve funds. Nevada County officials worry the special fund could take between $2 million and $5 million from county property tax coffers.
• Prop. 1B: Education funding and payment plan to schools and community colleges beginning in 2011-2012 to replace other payments that could be required earlier.
• Prop. 1C: Lottery Modernization Act — Generates $5 billion to address budget deficit by borrowing against future lottery revenue. Debt service on the borrowing and higher payments to education could make it more difficult to balance the state budget in the future.
Prop. 1D: A temporary redirection of funds for early childhood development programs, formerly approved by voters, to help balance the budget.
Prop. 1E: A temporary reallocation of funding for mental health services, previously approved by voters, to help balance the budget.
Prop. 1F: A “yes” vote means members of the Legislature, the governor and other elected state officials won’t receive salary increases during budget deficit years.
To view polling locations, visit MyNevadaCounty.com; click on Clerk-Recorder & Elections, then Elections Office, then Find Your Polling Place.
Associated Press contributed to this report. To contact Laura Brown, e-mail lbrown@theunion.com or call 477-4231.
