The
growing number of Yorba Lindans who vote by mail will begin marking
ballots for the Nov. 8 general election soon after Oct. 10, the date
mail-in ballots are scheduled to be delivered to the post office for
mailing by the county Registrar of Voters.
Mailed
ballots can be received up to three days after the election if they
are signed and dated by Nov. 8. The ballots also can be taken to the
registrar's office in Santa Ana through Nov. 8 or left at any
precinct on election day. Last day to apply for a regular
vote-by-mail ballot is Nov. 1.
At
last count, 23,750 of Yorba Linda's 40,643 registrants – nearly 58
percent – are permanent mail-in voters, a figure that's increased
steadily since the state first allowed permanent vote-by-mail status
in 2002. In the June primary, 60 percent of the votes cast in Yorba
Linda were by mail.
Although
registration continues until Oct. 24 (new citizens can register up
until the polls close), this city's total voter registration lags far
behind the 45,494 who populated the voter rolls in the 2012
presidential election.
The
current standings: 22,276 Republicans (54.8 percent); 9,016 Democrats
(22.2 percent); 7,864 no party preference (19.3 percent); and 1,487
for miscellaneous parties (3.7 percent).
Roadway
campaign signs always draw attention with reports of sign-stealing
and vandalism. Some residents see the signs as evidence of a vibrant
democracy, while others decry clutter. And candidates often ignore
specific zoning rules when posting them on public rights-of-way.
In
a recent email, homeowners' association president and 2014 City
Council candidate Judy Murray notes the Yorba Linda Boulevard and
Yorba Ranch Road corner as “a very desirable location” for signs.
But,
she says, the 218-home Rancho Dominguez Community Association “will
be enforcing our CC&Rs and will not allow campaign signs on our
perimeter landscape.”
I
also received an email from former schools superintendent Doug
Domene, now dean of the college of education at Hope International
University. He's “disturbed by the misleading signs three of the
school board candidates have placed around the city.”
He
writes, “The signs have a tag line that says 'Save Prop. 13.' This
is so misleading. Any changes to the current tax law do not fall
under the purview of a school board.”
Voters
can still enter the
non-partisan council,
water director and school
trustee contests as
write-in candidates by
registering with
the county elections office,
1300 S. Grand Ave., Building C,
Santa Ana, through Oct. 25.
Write-in
votes won't be counted or recorded unless candidates register.
Write-ins aren't allowed in the partisan races, for which candidates
were nominated in the June primary.
And
in response to last week's column, Lysa Ray emailed: “Thanks for
the mention. I just wanted to let you know I am neither a
political consultant nor an adviser. . . I am just a political
treasurer.”