California Family Minute
October 6, 2010
Let the Voting Begin!
by Rebecca Burgoyne,
CFC Research Analyst
My phone is ringing off the hook; Jerry, Meg, Carly, and Barbara want my vote. Pollsters want my opinion. You too? The 2010 fall campaign is in full swing with candidate debates pre-empting programming, mailboxes overflowing with campaign fliers, and commercials blaring competing messages into homes and cars.
This week, county officials mail out more than six million ballots statewide. As the result of a 2001 law, any Californian can bypass the election booth and choose to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter. With voting by mail becoming increasingly popular – 57.9 percent of total votes in the June primary were cast by mail – Election Day itself stretches out for the month preceding it. Voters can fill out their ballots in the privacy of their homes, as time permits, and mail them back early or join the purists at the polls to turn their ballot in on Election Day.
A Field Poll released yesterday found a historic level of pessimism among Californians about the economy, their personal finances, and jobs – and little hope that things will improve in the coming year. While Californians disagree on many issues, 93 percent describe the state as being in bad economic times and 89 percent describe unemployment as a serious problem. Another poll last month found 81 percent thought the state was headed in the wrong direction, and only 10 percent approved of the job California legislators were doing.
What Can Be Done?
Granted, the problems are many. The economy seems to sputter with a gloomy outlook. Unemployment has skyrocketed, and folks lament the social problems that permeate our culture. Government is dysfunctional, legislators follow the agendas of moneyed interest groups while ignoring their constituents’ desires, and judges are legislating from the bench. How can we get back on the right track? First and foremost, pray – for our country, our nation, and its people. Pray for revival and for the November elections. As we focus on God – the One who can do far more than we ask or imagine – our cares and worries fade into the background. Nationwide, there is an undercurrent of hope concerning the upcoming election, as voters seek to hold incumbents responsible for their actions in office and elect men and women of integrity whose values mirror their own.
It matters that you vote. As of September 3, 17 million Californians were registered to vote, but turn out – despite the ease and popularity of voting by mail – continues to be low. Only a third of registered voters cast votes in the June primary. Research shows that only half of the Christian population in America is registered to vote, and of those registered, only half go to the polls. Dr. James Dobson has said, “When we withhold our influence and participation, we yield by default to those who promote immoral and destructive policies.” President Abraham Lincoln said, “Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
Just One Vote
Many people believe their vote won’t matter, but our state and our nation are comprised of individuals of all types, and each of us has something to contribute. Famed narrator Paul Harvey told an oft-repeated story of the profound effect one man’s vote had for years to come, in which Harvey concluded, “So, Texas was admitted to the union because a miller in DeKalb County, Indiana, went 10 minutes out of his way to cast...one vote.”
Consider these other examples:
Let the Voting Begin!
by Rebecca Burgoyne,
CFC Research Analyst
My phone is ringing off the hook; Jerry, Meg, Carly, and Barbara want my vote. Pollsters want my opinion. You too? The 2010 fall campaign is in full swing with candidate debates pre-empting programming, mailboxes overflowing with campaign fliers, and commercials blaring competing messages into homes and cars.
This week, county officials mail out more than six million ballots statewide. As the result of a 2001 law, any Californian can bypass the election booth and choose to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter. With voting by mail becoming increasingly popular – 57.9 percent of total votes in the June primary were cast by mail – Election Day itself stretches out for the month preceding it. Voters can fill out their ballots in the privacy of their homes, as time permits, and mail them back early or join the purists at the polls to turn their ballot in on Election Day.
A Field Poll released yesterday found a historic level of pessimism among Californians about the economy, their personal finances, and jobs – and little hope that things will improve in the coming year. While Californians disagree on many issues, 93 percent describe the state as being in bad economic times and 89 percent describe unemployment as a serious problem. Another poll last month found 81 percent thought the state was headed in the wrong direction, and only 10 percent approved of the job California legislators were doing.
What Can Be Done?
Granted, the problems are many. The economy seems to sputter with a gloomy outlook. Unemployment has skyrocketed, and folks lament the social problems that permeate our culture. Government is dysfunctional, legislators follow the agendas of moneyed interest groups while ignoring their constituents’ desires, and judges are legislating from the bench. How can we get back on the right track? First and foremost, pray – for our country, our nation, and its people. Pray for revival and for the November elections. As we focus on God – the One who can do far more than we ask or imagine – our cares and worries fade into the background. Nationwide, there is an undercurrent of hope concerning the upcoming election, as voters seek to hold incumbents responsible for their actions in office and elect men and women of integrity whose values mirror their own.
It matters that you vote. As of September 3, 17 million Californians were registered to vote, but turn out – despite the ease and popularity of voting by mail – continues to be low. Only a third of registered voters cast votes in the June primary. Research shows that only half of the Christian population in America is registered to vote, and of those registered, only half go to the polls. Dr. James Dobson has said, “When we withhold our influence and participation, we yield by default to those who promote immoral and destructive policies.” President Abraham Lincoln said, “Elections belong to the people. It is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
Just One Vote
Many people believe their vote won’t matter, but our state and our nation are comprised of individuals of all types, and each of us has something to contribute. Famed narrator Paul Harvey told an oft-repeated story of the profound effect one man’s vote had for years to come, in which Harvey concluded, “So, Texas was admitted to the union because a miller in DeKalb County, Indiana, went 10 minutes out of his way to cast...one vote.”
Consider these other examples:
- In 1801, one vote in the U.S. House broke the tie between presidential candidates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. By the way, Burr was later charged with treason.
- In 1868, one vote saved President Andrew Johnson from being removed from office.
- In 1876, one vote in the Electoral College gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency.
- In 1941, one vote extended the active service provision in the Selective Service Act (Draft) just four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- In 2000, we had one of the most closely contested presidential elections in American history, and some people are still arguing about who won!
Register to Vote
You can’t vote, if you are not registered to vote. To vote in the November 2 election, you must register by October 18. If you have moved, changed your name or your political party, you must re-register to vote. To register to vote, visit the Secretary of State’s Web site. If you are not sure if you are registered, this site provides access to county-specific Web sites and phone numbers dedicated to registration verification.
Conviction and Character
Instead of voting with your “pocketbook” or by political party, let conviction and character be your guides. Find out what the candidates support and oppose, and find candidates who line up with your convictions – on life, marriage, parental authority, education, or any issue of importance to you. Secondly, choose men and women of integrity, honesty, and high character. Noah Webster said, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate - look to his character...When a citizen gives his suffrage (vote) to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.”
CFC will be publishing an online voter guide in the next couple of weeks, reflecting which candidates support/oppose fiscal conservatism, traditional marriage, the authority of parents in raising children, and certain education reforms. Casting your vote can be easier than you think, and together we can make a difference!
For more information:
You can’t vote, if you are not registered to vote. To vote in the November 2 election, you must register by October 18. If you have moved, changed your name or your political party, you must re-register to vote. To register to vote, visit the Secretary of State’s Web site. If you are not sure if you are registered, this site provides access to county-specific Web sites and phone numbers dedicated to registration verification.
Conviction and Character
Instead of voting with your “pocketbook” or by political party, let conviction and character be your guides. Find out what the candidates support and oppose, and find candidates who line up with your convictions – on life, marriage, parental authority, education, or any issue of importance to you. Secondly, choose men and women of integrity, honesty, and high character. Noah Webster said, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate - look to his character...When a citizen gives his suffrage (vote) to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country.”
CFC will be publishing an online voter guide in the next couple of weeks, reflecting which candidates support/oppose fiscal conservatism, traditional marriage, the authority of parents in raising children, and certain education reforms. Casting your vote can be easier than you think, and together we can make a difference!
For more information:
- Coming Soon – CFC Voter Guide
- IVoteValues.org, a collaborative effort of Family Research Council and Focus on the Family; originally developed by For Faith & Family, a ministry of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention
- Official Voter Guide, Secretary of State’s Office
- Incumbents also have voting records, which you can compare on issues important to you. For example, see legislative voting records on SB 906 (civil marriage) and SB 543 (mental health treatment for minors without parental knowledge).
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