Category Archives: 2020 elections

2020 elections, California elections, California propositions, Rep. Tim Grayson, Sen. Bill Dodd, Solano Supervisor Monica Brown, Vote by Mail

BREAKING: Non-delivery of California Voter Information Guide

“…everyone is very jumpy about this election and not to have information in a timely manner is problematic.”  – Constance Beutel

By Roger Straw, September 30, 2020
Click the image to download the online version of the official Voter Guide.

People are voting already, but many are doing so without the aid of the official California Voter Information Guide that details state races and propositions.  The guide is mailed to voters before every election, and reportedly went out in “early September.”

Constance Beutel alerted me this afternoon.  She had been watching for her Voter Guide, checked around, and found others here in Benicia in the same situation.

Beutel phoned the offices of our County Supervisor Monica Brown, State Senator Dodd, and State Assembly Representative Tim Grayson and found out that some if not all staff there had also not received their Voter Guide!  All said they would look into it.

Stay tuned…

With permission, here is Beutel’s letter to Tim Grayson staffer Jana Modena:

From: CONSTANCE BEUTEL
Sent: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, 01:56:16 PM PDT
Subject: No Official Voter Information Guide

I’ve just spoken with Tom Bartee letting him know that I have not received the official California Voter Information Guide. I am not the only one in Benicia in this situation. I do have my official ballot.

I called my County Supervisor’s office and learned that the Sec of State sends this guide out so I then called the Sec of State’s office and waited about 20 minutes to speak to the elections division. I was then told that the guides were mailed in early September and a guide would be mailed to me within the next 5 to 10 days. I asked if this would also apply to all of Benicia. The woman who was answering the phone said, “no.”

Mr. Bartee indicated that he had not received his guide either.

As we all know, everyone is very jumpy about this election and not to have information in a timely manner is problematic!

Please let the Assemblyman know of this problem and expedite a solution.

I await your reply.

thank you

Constance

2020 elections, Benicia elections, Vote by Mail

Election Day? No! This week (Sept 28-Oct 3) is ELECTION WEEK!

Everything you need to know to vote early – THIS WEEK!

Beginning October 5, you can drop off your ballot at a Solano County ballot drop box like this one at our Benicia City Clerk’s office. Here’s the list of drop boxes in all 7 Solano cities.
2020 elections, 2020 Presidential campaigns, Benicia City Council, Benicia elections, Benicia Mayor, Local elections, Steve Young, Terry Scott

You can VOTE in Benicia on Monday, Sept 28! Roger’s recommendations…

By Roger Straw, September 25, 2020
Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Voting starts earlier than ever this year – you can already cast your mail-in ballot next week!

It’s all new to me.  I have ALWAYS waited, and cast my ballot at the polling place on election day, but not this year.

Candidates for public office have had to change tactics.  I should know –  I’ve been involved in 7 local campaigns over the last 13 years.  We used to send out mailers and knock on doors in October, and there was always a big Get Out the Vote push on Monday before the election.  It all has to be done much earlier now.  And most of us will have already voted by early-, mid- or late-October this year.

So we are making up our minds now.  It’s not hard at all for most of us to know who would make the better President: Joe Biden, of course.  But who will we elect as the next Benicia Mayor?  Who for City Council?  And what about those pesky ballot measures?

For good guidance on ballot measures, check out ProgressiveDemocratsOfBenicia.org.  See their CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENTS page and their Recommendations on Ballot Measures.

Roger’s recommendations

Steve Young – for BENICIA MAYOR

Benicia Mayor: Steve Young.  I support Steve for his careful analysis of facts and his grounding in city administration.  Benicia will forever owe Steve a debt of gratitude for his intense and persuasive questioning of Valero and City staff during the long fight against Valero’s dirty and dangerous “Crude by Rail” proposal.  The entire Planning Commission and City Council deserve praise, but it was Steve whose star shined most brightly during those pivotal times.  By the way, those who know me are aware of my bias in favor of women candidates.  I’m a longtime male feminist, and usually I will lean left and go with a woman candidate.  But in this year’s race, with Mayor Patterson choosing not to run, I have to go with Steve Young.  More about Steve Young, or Donate and Volunteer.

Terry Scott – for BENICIA CITY COUNCIL

Benicia City Council: Terry Scott.  I support Terry for his vision and values, and for his leadership as Chair of Benicia’s Arts and Culture Commission.  More about Terry Scott, or Donate and Volunteer.

 

~ How and where to cast your mail-in ballot EARLY ~

#VOTE, 2020 elections, 2020 Presidential campaigns, Solano County Registrar of Voters, Vote by Mail

Solano is mailing your ballot to you on Sept 26 – Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Suisun City, Rio Vista, Dixon

By Roger Straw, Friday, September 25, 2020

When and how to VOTE EARLY!

In an email yesterday evening, Assistant Solano County Registrar of Voters John Gardner confirmed that “ballots are being mailed on Saturday 9/26.”  Gardner added, “All ballots will be delivered to the post office at the same time for delivery.”

In years past, we might then assume that our ballots would arrive in our mailboxes on Monday, September 28.  Given recent national stories about post office slow deliveries, we will have to watch and see.

Three ways to return your ballot early! (…and then there’s November 3)

  • Cast your ballot RIGHT AWAY: Mail it back on the same day you get it, maybe Monday or Tuesday, September 28 or 29.  Return it ANYTIME via US Postal Service (postage paid).
  • If you wait a week, you can drop it off in person beginning Monday, October 5: There are 15 NO CONTACT DROP BOXES (inside office buildings).  Here’s the list on the Solano County website, including City Clerks’ offices in all 7 Solano cities.
  • I hope you don’t wait until October 29, but if you do… There are 10 NO CONTACT CURBSIDE DROP-OFF LOCATIONS.  For 5 days before election day, beginning on Thursday October 29, and continuing on Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, you can drop off ballots “Curbside.”  (Stay in your car, hand ballot to pollworkers.)  Here’s the list of at least one in each city, on the County website.
  • And there’s 4 options on ELECTION DAY, Tuesday, November 3:
    1. NOT RECOMMENDED: It’s still possible to mail your ballot.  If (and that’s a big IF) the post office postmarks it on Nov. 3, it will be valid and counted.  Please DON’T do this!  I wouldn’t mail my ballot at all, but if you must, I’d say do it at least 2 weeks prior to election day – by October 20.
    2. The office building drop-off locations will still be available.  List of locations.
    3. The curbside drop-off locations will still be available.  List of locations.
    4. And there’s the good old In-Person voting at your local polling place.  Your polling place location will be printed on your ballot.  Note that some polling places may have changed since the last election.  To plan ahead, here is the County’s list of 100 polling places.  Better yet, to look up your location using your home address, go to this page on the County website: solanocounty.com/depts/rov/sample_ballot_polling_place_lookup.asp

Roger Straw, The Benicia Independent

Oh, and on a personal note… I am clearly encouraging everyone to vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.  Donald Trump is unfit in so many ways, a disaster already, and a threat to our democracy if returned for another 4 years.  Dems, GOPs and Independents please unite and do the right thing – Trump and Trumpism have got to go in a landslide victory for Biden/Harris!