Some registered voters are complaining that they never received their voting materials, including absentee ballots. Despite the complaints, the registrar says that it's nothing to worry about, and that some gliches are expected when more than a million and a half individuals.

These words might be reassuring to some, but it does raise doubt amongst other, national registration and voting scandals.

LA County embraces early voting

Nearly 400,000 voters in LA county have already sent in their absentee ballots, and almost 750,000 more have requested them but have yet to turn them in. tens of thousands more were at the registrars office this week registering to vote, checking registration and requesting absentee ballot.

Officials are excited about the interest in this year's election, but are also worried about the potential for long lines on election day. They are hoping that the dramatic increase in absentee ballots will cut down on election day polling lines.

Popular vote in CA's future?

A recent poll found that Californians support a popular vote in 2012's presidential election. Citizens hope that changing the voting system in California would bring more national attention to the state from both candidates. The state's various districts are surprisingly very divided despite the state's reputation for being a Democratic strong-hold, and could give hope to Republicans in future elections.

10 days to go

Obama's lovin' California and its 55 electoral votes--almost a fifth of what he will need to win the presidency. However the state elections aren't as blue as the state appears on the national level. In fact, Republicans are making good gains in the state despite the economic trouble of the national and state leadership, namely President Bush and Governor Swartzenegger, and even have some very conservative propositions on the ballot.

Endorsement

The LA Times has endorsed presidential candidate Barack Obama.It is the first time that the newspaper has not endorsed a candidate since 1972 when it back President Richard Nixon.

Visit www.latimes.com/obama-president for the paper's editorial on the endorsement.

Marriage rush in San Fransisco

Early voting in California

Big gains for California Dems

This year's presidential campaign might not have significantly impacted California's role in the upcoming election, but it the high turnout inspired by the candidates could play big in California's state-wide election. For the last few election cycles Democrats have not been able to secure enough seats to assure that their proposals to be passed. Instead they rely on 8 Republicans to cross the isle, which requires compromise. This year's drastic increase in Democratic turnout could turn those 8 seats blue, giving Democrats nearly free reign over the state's budget and other issues.

Flatline...decided or complacent voters?

More than presidential

Californians won't just be deciding presidential politics this November when they hit the polls. Most have heard about the contorversial proposition 8 which will ask Californians to vote on gay marriage, but another important proposition awaits those concerned over the traffic and polution crisis in the state. Proposition 1A will ask voters to decide on a $10 billion down payment on an high speed rail system intended to strech across the entire state, similar to that in countries like Taiwan. The $10 billion is just the beginning, and will certainly be hard to swollow after the state informed the federal government a couple week ago that it might need major financial assistance.

Who cares about California?

A great deal is made over presidential elections being about the American people and who they decide to be their leader for the next for years. But let's get serious, this election isn't about Americans, it's about Ohioans, North Carolinians, Missiourians and the rest of the voters from states that the politicians consider ocntestable. Republicans might come to the state of California but it's not for votes. If anything it's for money and to stir up the base, not to reach thos complacent independents and get them involved with the American political process.

More can be read about this on the UC Irvine website.

Last chance!

Today is the last day to register in the great state of California! In most elections this might not mean much, but this election has upwards of 20 to 30 thousands new registrants every day.The polls could be a mess in a couple of weeks if all of these new registrants decend on the polls all at once, but many have been taking advantage of main-in ballots.

Young Californian voters courted

Big ballots!

Sacramento County voters might find it hard to mail in their ballots on a budget this year. In fact,voters must purchase 17 extra cents in postage to make their voice heard. Hopefully everyone will catch on before election day.

No vote doesn't mean no voice

Non-citizen Hispanics might seem like a wasted force in presidential politics, but some researchers are suggesting that their role might be more substantial than originally assumed. Despite lacking the right to vote, the Hispanic community is very closely knit, and it isn't uncommon for families or social circles to be a close mix of citizens and non-citizens; that is, voters and non-voters. Just because this large demographic lacks suffrage rights doesn't mean they can't influence their friends and family, ultimately stirring a base that would otherwise go unarroused. This could potentially put issues like immigration to the forefront where it might otherwise take a back seat to other issues.

Republican politics getting dirty in CA

Certain county Republican affiliated groups in California are taking negative campaigning to a whole new level according to the San Fransisco Chronicle. The Sacramento County Republican party was asked by the California Republican Party to remove a picture of Barack Obama next to a picture of Osama bin Laden in a turban with the caption "the only difference between Obama and Osama is a little B.S." The site also proclaimed headlines like "water board Obama."


The disgusting rhetoric (despite partisan affiliation) was mirrored by another Republican group, the San Bernardino County Republican women's group, who publish a "racially insensitive" picture of Obama in its private publication.

Party officials have condemned the publications, but certainly not without consequence. Such publicity may not hurt McCain any more than he already is in California, but state races in which Republicans hope to gain some influence could easily be negatively effected.

Taking a back seat

Presidential politics are finding it hard to compete with proposition 8 in California which will give voters the opportunity to rescind the right to gay marriage that the state courts allowed last year. The Asian vote threatens to take on the support of the proposition that blacks expect to put forward in November, but their presidential politics are more unsure. 1 in 3 Asian voters live in California, and 30 percent of those voters are undecided according to the San Fransisco Chronicle.

While this group may not be a make or break for either campaign, the state's politics could be easily influenced and have a major impact on the future of Californian politics.

The push in California for mail-in ballots has a bigger impact than just getting people to vote and vote early, it also helps stimulate voting on election day. With about one third of California citizens voting by mail this year, voting organizers are now able to allocate voting booth resources more effectively. When one third of a small community votes by mail, resources that would otherwise be required in that community on election day can instead be moved into more populated areas. This helps cut down on lines and congestion in more urban areas, hopefully inspiring time-crunched individuals to vote when they otherwise might not.

This will especially be important with the huge increases in voter registration this election cycle, which could otherwise mean a chaotic situation at the polls in November.

Blacks instrumental in more than presidential politics

The Obama campaign has made headlines recently for its extensive voter turnout drives, particularly because of turnout among black and other minority groups. For California state politics those turnout levels could effect more than where the states electoral votes end up. On the California ballot again this year is proposition 8 which supports a ban against same-sex marriages. While democratic turnout would normally benefit proposition 8, the democratic demographic isn't the same as it has been in previous elections, with more black that even turning out to vote. Blacks are typically on more conservative issues like gay marriage and could help defeat the proposition this year.

Groups against same-sex marriages propose a 'thank-you' to Barack Obama for the outcome, spurring debate.

Palin in SoCal

Sarah Palin made her first visit to California since her VP nomination a month ago. Palin has been accredited for rallying California's Republican base that could help in state-wide elections, if not in the presidential race. Her appearance marks a change in tone for the McCain campaign as she criticized Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers. A more critical message is expected from the campaign as Obama rises in battleground state polls.

Both supporters and protesters were present at Palin's rally, and some of there comments are featured in this YouTube video

Independent media

A group of independent conservatives called Vets for Freedom has started an add campaign against Barack Obama in California. The $2.2 million campaign focuses on Obama's foreign policy experience and objectives. Other independent groups are launching similar attacks against all the candidates in various battleground states, reports USA Today.

Independent advertising played a major role in the 2004 election, and could in this one as well, but the Vets for Freedom could have probably focused their funds a little more strategically instead of focusing on a Democratic bastion like California.

Shaking the base

John Wildermuth of the San Fransisco Chronicle gave interesting insight into the implications of a measure that would essentially circumvent the traditional ways of the electoral college. The measure, vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, would have allowed California to award its electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, instead of the winner of California's popular vote. The measure was favored by those of National popular vote organizations because it would allow them to achieve their goal without rewriting the Constitution, which is required if the country decides to move away from the Electoral College.

The measure would have effectively bypassed the Electoral college system, and would have changed the course of the 2000 election. With such a tight race this year the effects of such legislation could have been historic.

Microcosm

In Lake County, CA registration is on its way up as the registrars office gears up to handle the influx. Over the past few years more and more voters are registering to vote absentee, an interesting trend. Most of these absentee voters are not abroad or in the Military.

While Lake County is just a microcosm of the greater state, partisan registration trends seem to be on par with California as a whole. The influence of absentee ballots might be something to look out for in the future.

Read more about Lake County

Getting political

The University of California is responding to the lack of up-front and quality news despite 24-hour news channels and websites. UCTV (University of California Television) is gathering a variety of resources including clips, opinions, interviews, and general information on the issues facing voter this election, and putting it all on an a University accessible channel. The programming is also available to the greater public online at

Worldwide on the Internet at www.uctv.tv: Live webcast, "video-on-demand" archives, audio and video podcasts. Also available on iTunesU and YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/uctv)

Click here for more information.