Making your voice heard in 2020
There are important elections throughout our communities every year, but this year our nation will also participate in a presidential election.
No matter your political preferences, it is important to be informed on California’s election laws and how you can make sure your voice is heard.
Since coming to Sacramento, I’ve made it a priority to shine a light on the dark money in politics. In 2017, I co-authored the California Disclose Act, which lets voters know who is really paying for political ads by requiring that ballot measure and SuperPAC ads clearly and prominently list the three largest fundraisers.
This last year, I fought for additional transparency by supporting AB 201, the first law in the nation to require “paid for by” disclosures on mass campaign text messages. I also voted in favor of SB 47, which requires that the official top funders of state and local initiatives, referendums or recall petitions be disclosed on the petition.
I am proud to have supported these measures and others to bring transparency to campaigns and ensure voters have the best information when they are at the ballot box.
In 2017, in an effort to increase California’s influence in the presidential primary election, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to move our primary up to the earliest date permissible. Instead of our usual June election, this year California will join 13 other states in voting on March 3, known as “Super Tuesday,” for primary elections.
If you are registered with any particular political party, you can expect to vote as you usually do. However, if you are registered with “no party preference” and vote by mail, you likely received a postcard from the county elections office to request a primary ballot with presidential candidates.
Political parties get to decide if they will allow no party preference voters to vote in their presidential primary. Certain parties, such as the Republican and Green parties, allow only those registered to their party to vote in their primaries. No party preference voters can request to vote for Democratic, American Independent or Libertarian party presidential candidates, but they should consider reregistering if they wish to vote for candidates in other parties.
For Californians, registering to vote or checking registration status is as easy as visiting the secretary of state’s website at sos.ca.gov. There, you can also request a vote-by mail ballot, find your polling place and get information on campaign finance.
Eligible 16- and 17-year-olds can also pre-register so that they are ready to vote as soon as they turn 18. According to a study by CIRCLE, a research arm of Tufts University, only 31 percent of eligible young people voted in the 2018 midterm elections. Pre-registering has been found to be an effective way of engaging young people in the political process.
However, life can be busy and sometimes we aren’t able to check everything off our to-do-lists, which is why I supported a bill last year to have California join 11 other states in allowing all eligible residents to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day. Our nation is better when all our voices are heard.
Elections are the bedrock of our democracy, so in 2020 make sure to vote and encourage friends and family to vote too. If you have any questions about registering to vote and election laws or would like to share your opinion on legislation, please contact my Concord district office at 925-521-1511.
Reach Assemblyman Tim Grayson at (925) 521-1511. Visit or write the district office 2151 Salvio Street, Suite P, Concord, CA 94520