Pay attention to your ENTIRE ballot

Just incase you forgot I thought I’d put together a little review on American Government so you will be able to make the most of your ballot on election day.

Firstly:

The United States Constitution, Article II, Section 1 states that the President and Vice President shall be elected by electors (not citizens), specifying that electors are to be appointed in the following manner:

“Each state shall appoint, in such a manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of ELECTORS [who will elect the president], equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress; but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed.

This is called the “Electoral College.” Please note, state senators and representatives do not select the members of the electoral college. The state legislature gets to pick who is in the electoral college (which will equal the number of Senators and Representatives), and it is the electoral college which elects the president. 

Interesting… we the people elect the people who select the people who elect the president. (Also see Amendment 17)

Why do I say that? It’s not to discourage you. Rather, I say that so you pay more attention to the parts of your ballot which actually have some direct effect on government.

In the upcoming election you will DIRECTLY vote for the following:

State Representative 
Sate Senator (This person will be a part of the state legislature) 
Member of State Assembly (This person will also be a part of the state legislature)
Superior Court Judge

You’ll also directly vote for some of the following:

Members of local school board
AC Transit Director as well as a BART director
Local Sanitary Director
Healthcare District Directors
Recreation and Park District Directors 
(both for FULL term and SHORT term)

As a Californian you will also be able to vote on 12 state-wide proposition as well as some local propositions.

THESE ARE CRUCIAL, so pay attention to them, know about them. What you know about the presidential candidates is inconsequential; that decision is not in your hands.