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2018 election: What's on the ballot?

Voters will decide on propositions like rent control and a gas tax repeal and competitive races for the House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Governor of California.

The 2018 midterm election is carrying a loaded ballot with heavily contested races and a number of important propositions.

Election night is Nov. 6. Here's everything you need to know about voting what's on the ballot.

    Before the election begins

    Where to vote in a Voter’s Choice Act county (ones that don't have traditional polling stations)

    • Sacramento County will have 78 total voting centers and 53 drop boxes where residents can vote.
    • Nevada County will have 8 voting centers and 11 drop boxes within the county.

    How to register to vote

    • The deadline to register is Oct. 22
    • Registration can be done online

    How to register to vote if you missed the deadline

    • If you miss the deadline, there’s still time to register for the election through Conditional Registration.

    Who can and cannot vote

    • Certain circumstances can disqualify citizens from voting in the election
    • A person with a criminal history can vote if they meet certain requirements

    Voter fraud

    • Tampering with the voting process could result in prison time or thousands of dollars in fines

    Voting by mail

    • If you miss the vote-by-mail ballot deadline, you can still receive one if you apply in person at the elections office
    • There are four ways to return a vote-by-mail ballot

    Deadlines to keep in mind

    • Two different periods for vote centers to open
    • The beginning of the official canvass is Nov. 8.

    The politicians

    California’s 10 targeted congressional districts for the House of Representatives

    United States Senate

    • Incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) v. Kevin De Leon (D)
    • Feinstein’s platforms include gun reform, health care, and immigration
    • De Leon's platforms include Medicare for all, immigration reform, and free public education

    Governor of California

    • John Cox (R) and Gavin Newsom (D)
    • Newsom’s platforms include jobs, education, and the environment
    • Cox’s platform includes affordable housing, DMV reform, and the gas tax repeal

    The propositions (1 – 12)

    Proposition 1: The veterans housing bonds

    • $4 billion in bonds toward housing programs.
    • Funds split between programs for State Housing ($3 billion) and Veterans Housing ($1 billion)
    • Aid would come in the form of annual subsidies, payment assistance, and home loans

    Proposition 2: The homeless housing bonds

    • $2 billion in borrowing to help house people with mental illness who are at risk of homelessness
    • Uses funds from Mental Health Services Act to fund the No Place Like Home Program

    Proposition 3: The water bonds

    • Nearly $9 billion in funding for water infrastructure projects
    • Funds are designated for watershed lands, water supply, fish and wildlife habitat, water facility upgrades, groundwater, and flood protection
    • $200 million designated to fund state-owned Oroville Dam in Butte County

    Proposition 4: The children’s hospital bonds

    • $1.5 billion in funds for children’s hospitals
    • Funds are available to eight private nonprofit hospitals, five University of California Hospitals, and 150 public or private nonprofit hospitals

    Proposition 5: Property tax break for seniors

    • A tax break for homeowners over 55 when they move into a more expensive home
    • Allows people to move anywhere in the state to qualify for a tax break by removing requirements
    • Potential loss of $1 billion annually for local schools and government over time

    Proposition 6: The Gas Tax Repeal

    • Repeal of gas tax and vehicle registration fee increase passed last year in state legislature
    • Bans legislature from raising the gas tax or registration fees without voter approval
    • Yes = eliminates new gas tax and car fees for road work
    • No = New gas tax and car fees stay in place

    Proposition 7: Daylight Saving Time

    • Could bring an end to time changes from Daylight Saving Time by making DST year round
    • Allows lawmakers to make changes to DST

    Proposition 8: Dialysis clinics

    • Regulation on dialysis clinics
    • Requires rebates and penalties if revenues exceed specific limits
    • Areas of concern: revenue for clinics may be severely reduced, some clinics may find themselves opening fewer clinics or closing some that can’t remain in the market

    Proposition 9: Removed from ballot – formerly a proposal to split California into three states

    • This proposal would have split California into three states
    • It was removed from the ballot by the California Supreme Court

    Proposition 10: Rent control

    • Allows for rent control on new housing
    • Allows for local rent controls on standalone homes
    • Yes = Expansion of rent control in the state
    • No = Rent control stays the same

    Proposition 11: On-call breaks for ambulance workers

    • Emergency ambulance workers would have to be on-call during work breaks
    • Requires employer-paid training and mental health services for EMTs and paramedics

    Proposition 12: Cages for animals

    • Space requirements for confining veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens
    • Provides square footage requirements
    • Hens would be required to have one square foot of space per hen in 2020; require cage-free housing in 2022

    The local measures

    Sacramento's Measure U

    • A continuation and increase to the current 1/2 cent Measure U tax
    • A 1 cent general sales tax that would generate about $95 million per year for Sacramento

    Davis' Measure L

    • Re-designating agricultural land as residential/mixed use land
    • Would be used to build the 75-acre West Davis Active Adult Community

    Roseville's Measure B

    • A 1/2 cent general sales tax
    • Estimated to bring in $16 million to $19 million annually for Roseville

    Tracy's Measure M

    • Addresses affordable housing for the middle class
    • Proposal includes spaces for seniors and resident dealing with high cost of living

    The Mayoral races

    Elk Grove Mayor's race

    • Mayor Steve Ly - seeks expansion, improvements to public transit, fueling job growth in the Bio Tech industry, and adding a diversity committee.
    • Vice Mayor Darren Suen - seeks to address traffic decongestion in Elk Grove, transportation options, and the creation of an employment center to encourage people to work closer to home
    • Tracie Stafford - seeks to support small business, improve quality of life, and increase representation through by-district voting

    West Sacramento Mayor's race

    • Mayor Christopher Cabaldon - has been mayor of West Sacramento for 20 years and was West Sacramento's first mayor directly elected by voters.
    • Joseph DeAnda - seeks to examine city budget, double funding for after-school programs, prioritize levees and compensations for public safety, and improve infrastructure
    • Esther Moskalets - seeks to grow the economy, make West Sacramento a "premier living environment," improving infrastructure, and increasing police officer salaries

    Before You Leave, Check This Out