Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 21, 2012

SECTION B

SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2012

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 21, 2012

Last day to register to vote

May 29, 2012

Last day to apply for a

vote-by-mail ballot by mail

June 5, 2012

Election Day

From The California Secretary of State’s Office:

CALIFORNIA’S OPEN PRIMARY 

Top Two Candidates Open

Primary Act and Voter-Nominated Offices

On June 8, 2010, California voters approved Proposition 14, which created a “top two” or “open primary” election 
system. Except for the office of U.S. President and county central committee offices, offices that used to be 
known as “partisan offices” (e.g., state constitutional offices, U.S. Congress, and state legislative offices) are now 
known as “voter-nominated” offices. What used to be known as a “political party affiliation” is now known as a 
“political party preference.” 

Prior to the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running in a primary election, with the same 
political party affiliation, were placed on a partisan ballot to be voted on by voters of the same political party. 
The top vote-getter from each qualified political party would move on to the general election. At the general 
election, candidates could gain access to the ballot using the independent nomination process and other could 
run as write-in candidates. Under the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, all candidates running in a primary 
election, regardless of their party preference, will appear on a single primary election ballot and voters can 
vote for any candidate. The top two overall vote-getters – not the top vote-getter from each qualified political 
party – will move on to the general election. 

Additionally, candidates are no longer allowed to run as “independents” or “write-ins” at the general election. 
Prior to the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, a candidate for a partisan office would have the political 
party they were registered with listed next to or below their name on the primary and general election ballots. 
A candidate who won at the primary election was then considered to be the official nominee of their political 
party. Now, under the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act, candidates for voter-nominated office must 
indicate their party preference or lack of party preference on the primary and general election ballots. Political 
parties can no longer formally nominate candidates for voter-nominated offices, so a candidate who finishes in 
the top two at the primary election and advances to the general election is not the official nominee of any party 
for the office.


This Week:

STATEWIDE BALLOT PROPOSITIONS

PROP 28

 

LIMITS ON LEGISLATORS' 
TERMS IN OFFICE. INITIATIVE 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

 

SUMMARY

Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures

Reduces total amount of time a person may serve in the 
state legislature from 14 years to 12 years. Allows 12 years' 
service in one house. Applies only to legislators first elected 
after measure is passed. Fiscal Impact: No direct fiscal effect 
on state or local governments.

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS

 

YES A YES vote on this measure means: Future Members 
of the State Legislature could serve a total of 12 years in 
office—without regard to whether the years were served 
in the State Assembly or the State Senate. Legislators first 
elected on or before June 5, 2012 would continue to be restricted 
by existing term limits.

 

NO A NO vote on this measure means: Existing term limits 
for the Legislature would remain in place for current and 
future legislators. These limits allow a total of 14 years in 
office—including a maximum of six years in the State Assembly 
and eight years in the State Senate.

 

ARGUMENTS

 PRO The status quo isn't working. After two decades, our 
term limits law needs fixing. Prop. 28 places a hard 12 year 
limit on legislators and closes the loophole that allows legislators 
to serve nearly 17 years. It's a simple reform that 
helps make legislators more accountable. Read it. Vote Yes.

 

CON Proposition 28 is a scam by special interests to trick 
voters into weakening term limits. It actually lengthens—
not reduces—terms for politicians in office. It doubles the 
time politicians can serve in the State Assembly. It increases 
by 50% the time politicians can serve in the State Senate.

 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 FOR

 Doug Herman 

Californians for a Fresh Start 

790 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 506

Pasadena, CA 91101 

(626) 535-0710 

info@cafreshstart.comwww.cafreshstart.com 

AGAINST

 Anita Anderson 

Californians for Term Limits 

1161 Rhode Island Street 

San Francisco, CA 94107 

(415) 309-0939

info@www.28no.org www.28no.org

PROP 29

 

IMPOSES ADDITIONAL 
TAX ON 

CIGARETTES FOR 
CANCER RESEARCH. 

INITIATIVE STATUTE.

 

SUMMARY

Put on the Ballot by Petition Signatures

Imposes additional $1.00 per pack tax on 
cigarettes and an equivalent tax increase 
on other tobacco products. Revenues fund 
research for cancer and tobacco-related 
diseases. Fiscal Impact: Net increase in 
cigarette excise tax revenues of about $735 
million annually by 2013–14 for certain 
research and tobacco prevention and cessation 
programs. Other state and local revenue 
increases amounting to tens of millions 
of dollars annually.

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS

 

YES A YES vote on this measure means: 
State excise taxes on cigarettes would increase 
by $1 per pack to a total of $1.87 per 
pack. These additional revenues would be 
dedicated to fund cancer and tobacco-related 
disease research and tobacco prevention 
and cessation programs.

 

NO A NO vote on this measure means: State 
excise taxes on cigarettes would remain at 
the current level of 87 cents per pack and 
would continue to be used for existing purposes, 
including childhood development 
programs and various health and tobacco 
prevention and cessation programs.

 

ARGUMENTS

 

PRO The American Cancer Society, American 
Heart Association and American Lung 
Association wrote Prop. 29 to save lives, 
stop kids from smoking, and fund cancer 
research. Big Tobacco opposes Prop. 29 
because they know it will reduce smoking 
in California. Prop. 29 saves lives, but only 
with a YES vote.

 

CON Everyone supports cancer research, 
but Prop. 29 is flawed: $735 million annually 
in new taxes but doesn’t require revenue 
be spent in California to create jobs or fund 
schools. Creates new government spending 
bureaucracy with political appointees, duplicating 
existing programs. More waste, 
no accountability to taxpayers. No on 29. 
ReadForYourself.org

 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

FOR

Tim Gibbs American Cancer Society 980 
9th Street, Suite 2550 Sacramento, CA 
95814 (916) 397-4618 Info@CaliforniansForACure.
org www.YesProp29.org 

AGAINST

No on 29—Californians Against Out-of-
Control Taxes and Spending, a coalition of 
taxpayers, small businesses, law enforcement 
and labor. (866) 662-7016 Info@
NoOn29.com www.NoOn29.com


Read The Paper Online At: www.mtnviewsnews.com