Mills College WeeklyThe Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the
Oct. 7 recall election must be postponed, but California’s top
election official – Secretary of State Kevin Shelley – is appealing
their decision. If his appeal succeeds, the election will be held
on Oct. 7th as originally scheduled. As of press time, the Ninth
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether to rehear the
case. If the court declines, Kevin Shelley and recall sponsor Ted
Costa will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The highly
controversial racial data Proposition 54 and the infrastructure
funding Proposition 53 are on the same ballot with the recall
question. They will also be pushed back if the current ruling
stands. It’s unclear whether the courts will hear the case and how
they would decide. Historically, the U.S. Supreme Court has
reversed more Ninth Circuit decisions than from any other
court.
To ensure that you can vote in this election, should it go
forward Oct. 7th, your registration form has to be mailed by Monday
Sept. 22nd. As a college student, you can register with your
college residence address (on or off campus) or another permanent
home address; your polling place will be based on the address you
list. If you’ve moved since the last election, you should
re-register with your current address. Otherwise, you will have to
vote at the polling place for your previous address.
If you’re not registered, there are two options that will still
get you in under the deadline: download a form from the web or pick
one up at a public library, city hall, the DMV, or a post office
-including the one on campus. The state covers the mailing costs,
so you won’t need a stamp. You can contact your County Elections
Official to confirm your registration status.
You can also plan to vote by mail by applying for an absentee
ballot. Your elections official has to receive your application by
Sept. 30th, which can be downloaded from the web. For forms and
other information go to www.myvotecounts.ca.gov.
