CHABOT LIBRARY
Chabot College
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Election Information and Politics

The Next Election is on June 3, 2008
(which includes state and U.S. legislators' primaries for all parties). 
The Last Day to Register for this election is May 19.		 Voter Pondering Absentee Voting
Local Voting Registrars Contact Information
(Call them and be sure you know your current polling place)
Election Protection Card (If someone contests your right to vote)

Election Results for Feb. 5, 2008:     California  |  Alameda County  |  Calif. Exit Polls--Dem.  |  Calif. Exit Polls--Rep.

Delegates Per Candidate:  AP | CBS-Dems | CBS-Repubs | CNN-Dems | CNN-Repubs
Different news sites have different tallies.   Keep in mind that most include superdelegates in their tallies.

Directory of Candidates and California State Propositions for the June 3 Elections

 Note: In California, you have a right to use a paper ballot at a polling place if you so choose.

Voting Registration  |  Absentee Voting  |  California/Bay Area Election Resources  |  California/Bay Area--Initiatives/Propositions  | National Election Resources
Campaign Finance/Special Interests  |  Election Reform and Election Fraud Concerns  |  Elections/Politics News (California and National)
|  Bay Area Counties' Voting Registrars Contact Information  |  Election Info & Results from Past Elections

 On Line Voting Registration     http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/votereg1.html

Form comes from the California Secretary of State's office

Note: Registration is NOT complete until form receives your signature.  The on line form produces a mostly filled out form which will be mailed to you.  From that form, all you need to do is sign, date and declare (or decline) a  party affiliation.  Then mail it back (The form is postage paid). 

Registration Form Ready to Be Mailed (English)http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/english.pdf

Form comes from California Secretary of State's Office

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this file. 

 

 Registration Form Ready to Be Mailed (Spanish)
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/spanish.pdf

Form comes from California Secretary of State's Office

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat to read this file. 

Voter registration must be postmarked by May 19, 2008 to be eligible to vote in the June 3, 2008 election.

Absentee Voting
http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_m.htm
  Once a voter is officially registered, he or she can vote absentee if he or she wishes.  In addition to the convenience of voting before election day and not having to plan going to the polls on election day itself, absentee voting also provides the option for those who wish to vote via a paper ballot (vs. the electronic voting machines). Deadline to request an absentee ballot is .  If you miss the date and you are concerned about voting by machine (as is the case in Alameda County), you do have the right to request to vote by paper ballot at your polling place (Information stated on the bottom of the linked page)

California/Bay Area Election Resources

California/Bay Area--Initiatives/Propositions (Past & Present)
  • Directory of California State Propositions for the June 3 Election (2008)
           http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/06/03/ca/state/prop/
    From the League of Women Voters, links to the text of the propositions, arguments for and against each propositions, and links to articles about these propositions from newspapers published throughout the state.  Also includes links to special interests and those who campaign financed each proposition--for and against.  Be sure to click on the individual proposition, first.  The information will be on the right column.
     
  • Proposition 92 Information (2008)
  • Measure B (Chabot-Las Positas Community College District Bond) (2004)
    On the March 2, 2004 ballot there was a bond that passed that will fund necessary renovations of both Chabot and Las Positas Colleges.  Read the detailed descriptions, coming right from the District
     
  • Measure B Information in the Sample Ballot and Voter Information Pamphlet (2004)
            http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/03/02/ca/alm/meas/B/
    Information on Measure B as mailed to voters in the District

  • Propositions 53 and 54(2004)
  • California Ballot Propositions Database
    •        
    Get full text information on propositions placed on the California ballot from 1911 to the present.  In addition to the text of the propositions, themselves, many records also include accompanying voter pamphlet materials, and related legal and legislative history.  Courtesy of the UC Hastings' Law Library
     
  • California State Election Information (California Secretary of State)
    http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_runningforoffice_08.htm
    From the California Secretary of State's Office, contains the California Voter Information Guide, the full text of all propositions on the current ballot and past ballots (back to March 1996), previous election results from March 1996 to the present, and a link for anyone to begin his/her voting registration online (see "Quick Link," above).  Also contains addresses, Email addresses as well as listing the candidates running for office (President and state-wide).  For Election Results back to March 1996, go to Election Results and Dates.   To view some of the materials, you will need Adobe Acrobat on your computer
    • National Election Resources
  • United States Presidential Debates
            http://www.debates.org/pages/debtrans.html
    Transcripts and sometimes videos of presidential debates from the two major parties' candidates (and in 1992 and 1980, independent candidates)
     
  • factcheck.org--From non-partisan, reputable journalists of Annenberg Political Fact Check
  • Mediatenor Media Reports
            http://www.mediatenor.com/
    MediaTenor provides detailed reports on how political campaigns are being covered.
     
  • Project Vote Smart's Candidate Finder
    •         http://www.vote-smart.org/
    Under "Find Your Candidates and Elected Officials," enter a nine digit zip code and get information on congressional candidates for the U.S. House of representatives and state assemblies and senates (when applicable) for that area.  If you do not know the nine digit zip code, use the "Zip Code Lookup" option available from that page, and enter an address.  Note: For information on how to contact a particular candidate, click on "Biography" once you receive the page dedicated to your candidate,  and then scroll down the page
     
  • Politics1
                http://www.politics1.com/index.htm
    A directory to links of candidates and/or elected members from state-wide to nation-wide offices, along with links to all registered parties, independent candidates, issues, news web sites, etc.
     
  • Project Vote Smart
            http://www.vote-smart.org/
    A project founded by famous members from both conservative and liberal parties, this guide provides detailed information about all candidates running for office, citywide to nationwide.  Includes biographies, voting records, campaign finance information, special interest groups' ratings, and issue positions declared by the candidates. Note: For information on how to contact a particular candidate, click on "Biographies," select your candidate   and then scroll down the page
       
  • National Association of Secretaries of State: Election Information
            http://nass.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=33&Itemid=187
    Information for each individual state on laws regarding absentee voting, registration deadlines, same-day registration, process of election recounts
     
  • U.S. Electoral College
    •          http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/electoral_college/
    Records the results of the Electoral College for the elections of President/Vice President from 1789 to the present
     
  • Gender Gap--Elections
    •        
    Site is either down or has ceased.  In the meantime, take a look at the Center for Women and Politics site at http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/Facts5.html
     From GenderGap.com, a web site that focuses on women in political office and in the military, this web site records the election outcomes for women who ran for office from 1996 to the present.  For information and statistics about women in political office at present and in the United States history, take a look at the Gender Gap in Government page and the Gender Gap in the States page.
     
  • Election Statistics
    •         http://clerk.house.gov/members/electionInfo/elections.html
    Records statistics of election results for U.S. nation-wide office for the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency.
     
  • Voting and Registration Data
    •         http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html
    From the U.S. Census Bureau, population statistics on national level elections from 1994 to the present, along with historical tables from 1964-1998 and projected statistics for future elections
     
  • The Political Junkie

    • Current articles from NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?columnId=1930201
    Search in NPR for older "Political Junkie" articles (2004):      Scroll down on the Political Junkie's NPR page to search older articles
    1998 to 2001 articles in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/junkie/archive.htm
    Ken Rudin's articles are back, now from NPR.  Unfortunately, no clear index.  Used to be published in the Washington Post.  This is a bi-weekly column where Ken Rudin, political editor of National Public Radio, answers questions to all sorts of "What If?" questions regarding elections, or general events in politics.  In the Washington Post, there is no search engine for this archive, so you may have to "dig" (search date by date)  to see if Rudin answered your elections question.  But a good clue to finding the question may depend on current events of a particular time.  For example, the questions in late 1998/early 1999  especially focused on questions about impeachment, and the ones in late 2000 focused on the electoral college.  The archives dates from July, 1998 to September, 2001.
     
    Campaign Finance/Special Interests
    Campaign finance information on congressional/presidential/state-level candidates and how candidates are rated by various special interest groups
  • Directory of California State Propositions for the November 8, 2005 Election
    http://www.smartvoter.org/2005/11/08/ca/state/prop/
    From the League of Women Voters, links to the text of the propositions, arguments for and against each propositions, and links to articles about these propositions from newspapers published throughout the state.  Also includes links to special interests and those who campaign financed each proposition--for and against.  Be sure to click on the individual proposition, first.  The information will be on the right column.
     
  • OpenSecrets.org
            http://www.opensecrets.org/home/index.htm
    From the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group.  Contains campaign contribution information on the U.S. House, Senate and Presidency, only
     
  • Federal Election Commission       
    http://www.fec.gov
    Contains campaign finance information on U.S. House, Senate, and President candidates going back to 1980.  Use the Disclosure Data Search to search for contributor's, or the Advanced Search to search for contributors using specific attributes such as zip code, employer/occupation or amount.
     
  • CAL-Access
    •         http://cal-access.ss.ca.gov/
    From the California Secretary of State's office, this database leads to all campaign finance contributions required by law that is reported to the State of California (based on the Online Disclosure Act of 1997). Look to the menu on the left to look up information on filers, contributions and expenditures made, and lobbyists
     
  • National Institute on Money in State Politics: California
    •        http://www.followthemoney.org/database/state_overview.phtml?si=20045
    For campaign finance information on state level elections, dating back to 1998 for California and as far back as 1988, depending on the state..  The information is usually given after the election has taken place.  Allows you to look up not only by candidate, but also by contributor.  The link above is to California, only.  To look up other states, click here
     
  • California's  Directory of Lobbyists, Lobbying Firms, and Lobbyist Employers
    •        
    http://CAL-ACCESS.ss.ca.gov/Lobbying/
    From the Secretary of State's office, this database allows you to browse alphabetically or to search by words (either by beginning of person's/firm's name or word(s) contained within).  Results provide a relationship between employers who are clients to particular lobbying firms and who are the lobbying firm's lobbyists.  Main focus is on California government
     
  • Project Vote Smart--Campaign Finances
    •         http://www.vote-smart.org/official_five_categories.php?dist=finance.php
    Will lead you to results mostly in OpenSecrets.org
     
  • Project Vote Smart--Special Interest Groups
    •         http://tinyurl.com/3upyf
    Provides you with information on how various different special interests groups rate candidates' voting records.  Searchable by candidates, but from the results, you will see the names of the Special Interest Groups as links.  When you click on the name of a Special Interest Group, you will be led to a page that tells you what it is about, and how it rated particular candidates and/or members holding office.  Be sure to read "How to Interpret These Evaluations" you will find on each ratings page, and keep in mind that all Special Interests can have their biases.  Candidate MUST have a voting history in public office in order to be rated
     
  • California Interest Groups on the Web
    •         http://www.calvoter.org/voter/politics/groups.html
    For information on special/community interests on California
    Election Reform and Election Fraud Concerns

    Skip to Links

    As stated in the links below, there are currently controversies over voting fraud including the shredding of voting registrations, changes in polling locations, false information given to voters, questions about the security of voting machines, etc.  If you have registered for the first time or moved recently and have not received a registration card, be sure to call your county voting registrar office to confirm you are registered and to find out your polling location.  Go to smartvoter.org and enter your zip code (or past zip code) and the phone number and address of the registrar will be listed on the bottom left.  If you have received your registration card and do not remember your polling location, enter your address in smartvoter.org.  Smart Voter is  a web site sponsored by the League of Women Voters.  Make sure you vote at the correct precinct, whether by your current address or previous address if you moved recently (to make sure, do contact both county voting registrars). 

    If your name is not listed at your polling location, you do have the right to request a provisional ballot, according to the Help America Vote Act.  The ballot will be set aside where later your registration and address will be verified, and then included into the voting tally.  For the time being, court rulings have stated that voting in the same county is NOT enough for your vote to be counted.  You MUST vote at the correct precinct (so be sure you know your correct polling place).  If you are not sure, call your registrar from your polling place.

    If you requested an absentee ballot and have not received it, you should call the voting registrar immediately.  If you are unable to get one, you will need to take the time on November 2 to vote at your correct precinct with a provisional ballot. 

    There are a lot of controversies involved regarding voting machines (see blackboxvoting.com for more details).  In the state of California, any voter who wishes to vote by paper ballot can do so.  If any poll worker tells you otherwise, contact your voting registrar, immediately.

    If anybody challenges your right to vote at the polling place, use the Election Protection Card (take a copy of it with you) or have at hand the following phone number: 1-866-MYVOTE1 or 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

    Regardless, do NOT leave your polling place without voting.  Request a provisional ballot if all is in doubt. Anybody in the country who is a legal citizen of the United States who is registered has a right to vote, and if there's any problems, has a right to vote with a provisional ballot, according to the Help America Vote Act, a federal law passed in 2002.  If you are refused a provisional ballot, contact your voting registrar, immediately.

    Local Voting Registrars by County
    Note: In some of these sites, you have the ability to look up your voting registration status online.

    Alameda 510-272-6933
    Contra Costa 925-646-4166
    Marin 415-499-6456 
    Napa 707-253-4321
    San Francisco 415-554-4375
    San Mateo 650-312-5222
    Santa Clara 866-430-VOTE [8683]
    Solano 888-933-VOTE (8683)
    Sonoma 800-750-VOTE

    Elections/Politics News (California and National)
    Note: most of the titles below will only lead you to only the current day or somewhere up to the last two weeks for free.  Those listed with green will let you know if you can view full text stories in their archives for free,  or other methods to see earlier political news of that source

  • Campaigns & Elections
            Available through Ebsco Host Academic Search Elite.
    Browse issues for the latest news stories and commentaries on both national and local campaigns across the United States!
     
  • Alt-PressWatch
     
  • Ethnic NewsWatch
     
  • GenderWatch
     
  • California Journal (discontinued)
            On-Campus Only, available in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe  1989 to 2004 ONLY. 
    Search a California political topic or candidate in California Journal, the supreme resource for California politics.  Click on "Search this Title, enter your search terms, and then select "Headline and Lead Paragraph" from the selections on the right.  Enter dates and time periods for more information.  Database is updated as recently as one week ago and goes back to 1989.
  • Politicalweb.info
            http://politicalweb.info/2004/2004.html/
    Tracks the various sites provided by the campaigns of presidential candidates
     
  • Los Angeles Times: Politics   
    •   http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/
    Includes national and state political news.  This site now requires free registration for you to look at the articles.
           
     
  • SF Gate: Politics News
            http://www.sfgate.com/politics/
    From the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner
           Earlier stories dating back to 1996 can be retrieved by you performing a search in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe
     
  • Mercury Center: Government and Politics News Digest
    •         http://www.mercurynews.com/politics
    From the San Jose Mercury News
           
     
  • California Capitol Hill Bulletin
    •         http://www.calinst.org/Bull.htm
    From the California Institute for Federal Policy Research.  Published every Thursday evening the California Congress is in session
      The link above leads to an archive, dating back to 1997.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page
            for a search engine for all of its archives
     
  • Sacramento Bee--Politics (formerly Capitol Alert)
    •         http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/
     
  • Washington Post: On Politics
    •         http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/politics/
     
  • CNN/All Politics
    •     http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/
    From the cable network.  Also contains political news stories from the magazine, Time (bottom of page)
                Contains archives dating back to 1996
     
  • Yahoo! News--Politics--Elections
    •         http://news.yahoo.com/elections
    From Yahoo!, provides the latest news stories regarding election campaigns from local, state, and national levels.
     
  • AP Elections
    •         http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=548
     
  • Elections: AP Gubernatorial
    •         http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=511
     
  • Elections: AP State/Local
    •         http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=616
     
  • Elections: AP Senate
    •         http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=683
     
  • Stateline.org -- Elections
         http://www.stateline.org/live/issues/Elections
    From stateline.org, a strong portal to news stories and web sites related to issues in individual states
     
  • Taegan Goddard's Political Wire
            http://www.politicalwire.com/
    Contains a good collection of current news stories from different newspapers and media resources of current political news.  Includes links to significant postings to political blogs (both left-wing ("Southpaws") and right-wing ("Wingers))

    •  

    Election Info and Results from Past Elections (California and National)
    February 2008 Election/Primary | 2006 Midterm Election | 2004 Presidential Election | 2003 Recall Election | 2000 Presidential Election | Elections before 2000

    February 2008 Election/Primary - California
  • Election Results for Feb. 5, 2008:     California  |  Alameda County  |  Calif. Exit Polls--Dem.  | Calif. Exit Polls--Rep. | Propositions


    • 2006 Midterm Election
  • Election Results for Mid-Term Nov. 2006:  Nation-Wide  |  California  |  Alameda County

    2004 Presidential Election
  • Election Results for Nov. 2004:   President (Popular and Electoral)  |  California  |  Alameda County
  • Librarians' Index to the Internet: Election 2004 Links
  • Sacramento Bee--Politics (formerly Capitol Alert) - Campaign 2004 news


    • 2003 Recall Election - California :
    2003 - Recall in California
     From the Institute of Governmental Studies Library at UC Berkeley, a great portal on the 2003 Governor Recall Election

    California Smart Voter (League of Women Voters of California)
    http://www.smartvoter.org/2003/10/07/ca/state/
    Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of California, this site will lead you to what will be on your local ballot.  Simply enter your address under "My Ballot," select the election date you want to look up, and you will have links to all candidates, measures, and initiatives, both state-wide and local that you would be voting.

    FindLaw Legal News: Special Coverage: California Recall Election
            http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/recall/index.html

    United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's Decision in Keeping the October 7 Election in Place  (Current Ruling)
    Available at the reference desk for photocopying.  For viewing the decision online, please do NOT PRINT the entire ruling.  The link that follows comes from Findlaw.      http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/elections/svrepvshlly92303opn.pdf

    United States Court of Appeals For the Ninth Circuit's Decision in Delaying the Election (EARLIER RULING)
    Available at the reference desk for photocopying.  For viewing the decision online, please do NOT PRINT the entire ruling.  The link that follows leads to news and all court cases involving the California Recall, courtesy of Findlaw.  Click on the link, "Order and Injunction" to read the ruling, itself:  http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/elections/svrepvshlly91503ord.pdf

    Voting Methods in Recall Election
        http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/net/20030815/capt.methods.jpg
         A map that shows which counties have which voting methods available.  Includes the California counties that still have the punch card ballot voting procedure.

    		 Special Recall Election Voter Guide

    Governor Recall Websites and Candidates
     From an archived version of a conservative web site called California Recall.com, a complete list of all 135 candidates who ran, with credentials and links to campaign web sites.  Note: some of the links now go to self-promotional sites from the former candidates

    Campaign Contributors for Governor Candidates
     So who funded Arnold's campaign?  Who supported Davis?  Was Arianna Huffington's campaign the one that had the most small contributions as she claimed?  Find out from The Institute in Money on State Politics

    Debates:
    (Note: some available only in audio or video)

    September 3, 2003: Bustamante, Camejo, Huffington, McClintock, Uberroth and interview with Gray Davis

    September 9, 2003: Bustamante, Camejo, Huffington

    September 17, 2003: Bustamante, Camejo, Huffington, McClintock

    September 24, 2003: Bustamante, Camejo, Huffington, McClintock, Schwarzenegger (transcript)

    September 24 Debate Video

    October 4, 2003: Bustamante, Camejo, McClintock and Interview with Sharon Davis

    .

    2000 Election & Controversy
  • 2000 Election Library Guide - The Library has a library research guide devoted to the 2000 election

    • Elections before 2000

  • For information on election before 2000, search databases such as EbscoHost, Lexis-Nexis ProQuest Diversity news sources. For information on the 1996 election, try University of Michigan's Government Documents in the News 1996, Online NewsHour Election Night '96, FrontLine: The Choice '96, and The MoJo Wire--Race for the White House.

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    This web site was last updated on September 28, 2006.
     If you have any questions or want to suggest any additions, please contact
    Norman Buchwald, Information Literacy and Technology Librarian.
     ©2000, Chabot College