Assemblymember Phil Ting–
No doubt the political influence of the LGBTQ+ community is increasing. Two years ago, the Human Rights Campaign and Bowling Green State University projected that this category will be one of the fast-growing voting blocs in the country and could fundamentally reshape the American electorate landscape. The report estimates one in seven voters will identify as LGBTQ+ by 2030, a sharp increase from 2022 when it was one in ten. In just a few weeks, you can contribute to the momentum by casting your vote.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5. We will be electing a president and leaders at both the state and local levels. We will also be deciding on issues that impact us, such as housing, children’s programs, climate change, and more.
Considering what’s at stake locally and nationally, be sure your voice is heard and vote. Counties will begin to send out vote-by-mail ballots the week of October 7 to all Californians who are registered to vote. In order to receive a ballot in the mail, you must register to vote by October 21.
After voting, your ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day. You can also bring it to a Voting Center or any of the 37 official drop boxes through 8 pm November 7. Locations can be found, under the “General Information” tab, at https://bit.ly/484gui
Since 2020, California voters have been able to track their ballot. To make sure it gets to its destination, just go to: https://bit.ly/47Jy8YB
If you have not registered to vote, there are three ways to do so:
• Online: Visit https://registertovote.ca.gov/
• Paper Application: Forms are available at U.S. Post Offices and your local public libraries. Once the application is filled out, just mail it in.
• In-Person: Drop by San Francisco’s Election Department in City Hall to fill out a voter registration form.
Note that it takes two to three days to process your registration.
If you’re not sure whether you’re registered to vote, or which address you have on file, you can check your voter status with the Secretary of State’s website: https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/
Among the things you can look up:
• whether or not you are registered to vote;
• where you are registered to vote;
• your political party preference;
• and your language preference forelection materials.
After the October 21 deadline, you must register to vote in person. Just visit San Francisco’s City Hall Voting Center or a local polling place and tell a poll worker that you want to register to vote. You’ll then be able to cast a provisional ballot up until 8 pm on Election Day. If you meet the requirements to be a voter, then your ballot will count. If you live outside San Francisco, check in with your county’s election office for the steps you need to take to be able vote in November.
Help spread the word to your friends and family about the election and the upcoming voter deadlines. Then be sure to start your research early on each candidate and measure. The more people we can get to participate in the election, the better for our democracy.
Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the west side of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City, as well as part of South San Francisco and San Bruno.
Assemblymember Phil Ting
Published on October 3, 2024
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