My 2024 Voter Guide

Lars Poulsen - 2024-10-07

Other sources:

California State Voter Guide

KPBS Proposition Explainers

SB County Elections Division

Ballot-Ready Guide

SB Democratic Party endorsements

Independent endorsements

Federal

People

President + Vice President

Harris + Walz - Democrats

Senator

Remember to vote both lines (partial term and full term). The partial term is just for the period until the start of January.

Schiff - Democrat

House of Representatives

Salud Carbajal - Democrat

State

People

State Senator

Monique Limon - Democrat

State Assembly

Gregg Hart - Democrat

Propositions

Prop 2 - Public Education Facilities Bond - Vote Yes

Already passed by the legislature, this authorizes $10 billion in bonds for repair, upgrade and construction for K-12 schools, community colleges and vocational schools.

Endorsed by California Teachers Association. Opposed by Howard Jarvis foundation (of course).

Prop 3 - Marriage Equality - Vote YES

Remember "Prop 8"? This repairs it.

Prop 4 - Bonds for Drinking Water, Wildfire Protection and Climate programs - Vote YES

Prop 5 - Make Housing Bonds easier to pass - Vote YES

Allows local bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure to pass with 55% of votes instead of 67%.

Supported by Laegue of Women Voters, Habitat for Humanity and Firefighters.

Prop 6 - End forced prison labor - Vote YES

Prop 32 - Raise Minimum Wage - Vote YES

Raise minimum wage to $17 per hour now and to $18 in 2026. Inflation adjusted after that.

Not sure why it does not have broad endorsement.

Prop 33 - Rent control - Vote NO

Allows cities to pass rent control laws if they choose to.

Bad idea. Rent control can only work as a short-term emergency measure. If it lasts more than a couple of years, it diminishes housing stock by guranteeing that commercial rental housing will lose money for the owners, so nothing will be built.

Note that here I disagree with the Democratic Party

Prop 34 - Regulation Prescription Drugs - Vote NO

Corporate landlords want to dismantle the AIDS Healthcare Foundation because it sponsored Prop 33 (Rent Control).

Prop 35 Tax to fund Medi-Cal - Vote YES

Prop 36 Make more Misdemeanors into Felonies - Vote NO

City and County

Depending on where exactly you live, you may see SOME of these.

People

SB City Council

I think I am in district 5, so no election this time.

District 1

Cruzito Herrera Cruz
Alejandra Gutierrez - endorsed by Gun Sense Voter
Wendy Santamaria - endorsed by California Young Democrats

District 2

Mike Jordan - Mike is a Democratic incumbent, endorsed by the Independent
Terra Taylor

District 3

Tony Becerra
Oscar Gutierrez - Oscar is a Democratic incumbent, endorsed by the Independent

Goleta City Council

The Independent endorses

Mayor: Paula Perotte
Council district 3: Jennifer Smith
Council district 4: Stuart Kasdin

SB County Board of Education

Democrat endorsements are marked with **

Trustee Area 2 - Anne Berry, Nadra Ehrman** or Christy Lozano
Trustee Area 3 - Brian Cox or Sarah Anne Read** - Independent says Brian Cox.
Trustee Area 4 - Patrina Jones or Guy Walker - No information
Trustee Area 6 - Katya Armistead** or Nicholas Sebastian - No Information

Katya Armistead is endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

I think I live in area 6.

Trustee Areas

SBCC Board

Democrat endorsements are marked with **. These are also the Independent's endorsements.

Trustee Area 2 (Goleta) - Kyle Richards** or Lisa Sloan
Trustee Area 3 (Santa Barbara) - Sebastian Aldana Jr or Jett Black-Maertz**
Trustee Area 4 (Goleta) - Aruni Boteju or Dave Morris**

I am in Area 7

Election Map

SB Unified School Board

Democrat endorsements are marked with **. Independent agrees.

Area 2 - Sunita Beall** or John Robertson - John R is a retired teacher, wanting discipline; Sunita is an appointed incumbent, well endorsed.
Area 3 (My area) - Bill Banning**, Phyllis Cohen or Chris Wichowski
Area 5 - Celeste Kafri** or Jason Lekas

Celeste is a Democrat endorsed by the local Democratic party

Map of Areas

Isla Vista Community Services Director

6 candidates - Micah Littlepage**, Kylan Hobart** and Edward Pilotte** endorsed

Isla Vista Recreation and Parks Board

Greg Ortiz**
Finn Zilles**

Mission Hills Community Services District Directr

4 Candidates - No information

Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District Director

Division 1 - Robert Dunlap or Justin Ruhge - No information
Division 3 - Philip Carpenter or Carol Redhead - Philip is a "nonprofit manager"

Goleta Water District Director

District 3 - James Brandeland or Lauren Hanson - Lauren is the incumbent

Propositions

Prop G2024 - Goleta Agricultural Land Initiative - Vote YES

... says League of Women voters and the Independent

In 2012, Goleta adopted a measure (G2012) requiring a majority vote of the people to change the use of any agricultural parcel larger than 10 acres. This measure expires in 2032. The current proposition would extend this protection by an additional 20 years, so that it expires in 2052.

Personally, I think this could wait a few years. I guess they will keep putting this forward until it passes.

Measure H2024 - Increase (County) Hotel Bed Tax from 12% to 14% - Vote YES

Measure I2024 - Sales Tax Increase ito 9.25% (City of SB) - Vote YES

Endorsed by the Independent

Mesasure M2024 - Lompoc Schools

Independent says YES

Measure P2024 - SBCC Funding - Vote YES

Independent also says YES

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