California Special Election Nov 8, 2005

Taking government reform directly to voters, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a special election for November 8. Several measures on the ballot have direct or indirect implications for the state's public schools.

State Propositions
Get Involved
Links
Multilingual Voter Services
Read this page in Spanish

Important Dates

Last Day to Register to Vote - October 24, 2005
Last Day to Request an Absentee Ballot - November 1, 2005

State Propositions

Two directly affect education:

• Proposition 74: Teacher Tenure Initiative
  Proposition 74, also known as the "teacher tenure" or "Put Kids First" initiative, would change employment terms for certificated school employees. The two changes proposed would make it easier to dismiss a teacher by: 1) increasing teachers’ probationary time—the waiting period before they receive permanent status—from two years to five; and 2) modifying the processes required to dismiss teachers with permanent status.

  Proponents claim that these changes will save money and time in dismissing ineffective teachers. Opponents argue that the changes could leave the dismissal process open to abuse and could deter people from entering the profession.

  Download this free two-page analysis of Proposition 74.

  More information on the teacher workforce and evaluation strategies.

• Proposition 76: School Funding and State Spending 

  Proposition 76, known as the “Live Within Our Means Act” would create a new limit on how much the state government can spend each year, grant the governor power to adjust state expenditures during the course of the budget year, and make significant changes in how the Proposition 98 minimum funding guarantee for education works.

  Download this free analysis of Proposition 76.

Other State Propositions:

Two other propositions indirectly affect K-12 education:

• Proposition 75: Restrictions on Using Public Employee Union Dues for Political Contributions
  Proposition 75 asks voters to change state law so that public employee unions would have to get written consent each year from their members to be able to spend part of their dues for political purposes, such as supporting or opposing political candidates or issues. This potentially affects teachers and other school employees who typically pay union dues.

• Proposition 77: Redistricting Reform
  Proposition 77 would give a panel of retired judges, called “special masters,” the authority to redraw the boundaries of legislative districts. This could affect the statewide education budget, if redistricting significantly alters the makeup of the legislature.

Learn more about Propositions 75 and 77, including their backgrounds, provisions, fiscal impacts, and links to related resources.

Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved in the election process.

First and foremost, vote! If you're not registered, you can

• pick up a voter registration form at most public libraries, post offices, DMV offices, social service agencies, and county elections offices. Fill out the form and mail it in.

• Fill out the form online on the Secretary of State's Online Voter Registration page. A pre-printed registration card, containing the information you entered, will be mailed to you. Simply sign the form and return it in the mail. You will not be charged for postage.

• Vote by absentee ballot. Write a letter to the registrar of voters or county clerk in your county or return the application form included with your sample ballot. In some counties the absentee ballot application is online.

Contact your county elections office if you have questions about your voter registration status, absentee ballot, or polling place location.

Work at your local polling place. Contact your Registrar of Voters for more information.

Links

• The USC California Policy Institute, a nonpartisan, multi-issue research organization, has developed reports that look at available research related to the potential impact of Proposition 74 and Proposition 76.

• The League of Women Voters Smart Voter Site allows you to enter your street address and zip code to view your personalized ballot; find out more about candidates and their views on certain issues; and register to vote.

• The Secretary of State's office offers a wealth of voter information online. Go to November 8, 2005 Special Statewide Election Information for information about voter registration, descriptions of the measures on the ballot, voter resources including multilingual voter services, and more. The Cal-Access site provides information supplied by state candidates, donors, lobbyists, and others about campaign finance. If you are interested in who is contributing money, who is receiving money, and how it is being spent, this is the site for you.

• The California Voter Foundation provides nonpartisan election and government resources. The Statewide Special Election page features nonpartisan information on the ballot propositions. The Voting FAQ covers information on registering to vote, voting absentee, and locating your districts or polling place. The California Map Series shows maps of the state's political districts, regions, and counties. The California Government Section features basic information about federal, state, and local government in California, along with a collection of links to additional online resources.

• You can download the free Voter's Guide to Public Education Candidates from the Public Education Network website. This guide presents a list of questions that highlight the most pressing concerns and issues in public education today. It informs voters about important education issues, and helps them determine a candidate’s stance on public education.

Multilingual Voter Services

• The Easy Voter Guide website offers a downloadable handout with simple descriptions that explain each step of the voting process. It is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. The guide for the November 8 election will be available in September, 2005.

• The Secretary of State's multilingual voter services page provides services to voters who require assistance in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Some of these services include multilingual voter registration telephone hotlines and translated election materials.