Many residents still undecided for upcoming primary election
For the first time in history Californians have a chance to sway
the vote with their Super Tuesday primary election, but in many
counties the voting at the polls may be slow moving.
Many residents still undecided for upcoming primary election
For the first time in history Californians have a chance to sway the vote with their Super Tuesday primary election, but in many counties the voting at the polls may be slow moving.
In California’s presidential primary election on Feb. 5, San Benito County will have only one electronic voting machine per polling place, said Joe Paul Gonzalez, San Benito County’s clerk/auditor/recorder.
“Most votes will be paper votes,” Gonzalez said.
In August 2007, California’s Secretary of State, Debra Bowen, decertified the electronic voting machines that are used in San Benito County.
The electronic votes must be hand counted, he said. Bowen allowed limited use of the electronic machines because they accommodate the hearing and sight impaired, Gonzalez said.
Staff in the county’s elections office are prepared to comply with the ruling.
“We ran the last election as if we were under the same guidelines that we have for the presidential election,” Gonzalez said.
Tiffany Carey, a 21-year-old Hollister resident who works at Cornerstone Coffee, did not vote in the last election.
“I don’t think I’ve ever voted before, ever, since I turned 18,” she said. “But I’m more into it now.”
She will vote for Ron Paul, a Republican, in the primary election, she said.
“Things just don’t seem to be getting better,” she said, of her reason for voting for the first time.
Lynette Holm, Carey’s coworker, agreed.
She has not yet decided whom she will vote for. She needs more information about the candidates first, she said.
Nawuth Keat, owner of Java Bagel, will probably vote for John McCain, a Republican.
“McCain has some more experience with war,” Keat said.
He does not think that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama could win the presidency.
“I don’t know that the American public will pick either of them,” Keat said. “I don’t think that Americans will vote for black people.”
Democrats disagreed.
“I’m planning on voting for Obama,” said Julio Noriega a Hollister resident. “He’s changing things up.”
Catherine Kpeglo, another resident is still trying to decide between two democratic frontrunners.
“I haven’t really decided who to vote for,” she said. “I’m trying to decide between Obama and Clinton.”
As of Jan. 1, the elections office reported 47 percent of voters were registered Democrat while 35 percent were registered Republican. Other voters declined to state an affiliation.
In the 2004 presidential election, 53 percent of the voters cast a ballot in favor of the democratic candidate and 47 percent voted for current President George W. Bush.
The last day to register to vote in the primary election is Jan. 22, Gonzalez said.
As of Jan. 1, absentee ballots became known as vote-by-mail ballots, he said. In the November 2007 election, there were more vote-by-mail ballots in San Benito County than ballots at the polling places, he said.
Gonzalez expects to see that happen again in the next election.
“It’s the trend,” he said. “I think the fact that the secretary of state’s actions called into question the reliability of the electronic voting machines has encouraged people to use vote-by-mail ballots.”
The elections office staff encourages the use of vote-by-mail ballots, he said.
It is more convenient for the voter, Gonzalez said. It is also less work to count ballots that come in gradually, he said.
Vote-by-mail ballots must be in the elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
“Send them as soon as possible,” Gonzalez said. “At least three days before the election.”
There is a vote-by-mail ballot in every sample ballot booklet, he said.
To obtain a vote-by-mail ballot, voters can request one at the elections office or on their Web site, he said.
How the candidates stack up
Voters have discovered the Internet is a powerful ally in getting to know how candidates for national office compare. Some time spent with the presidential candidates’ Web sites and www.youtube.com this week revealed where the candidates stand on critical issues.
Hillary Clinton
– Iraq War- Start bringing troops home early in administration
– Global Warming- Increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon by 2030 and use green-building industry to retrofit low-income homes
– Economy- Lower taxes for middle class families through tax cuts for healthcare, college and retirement, and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and the child care tax credit
– Healthcare- Small businesses would get tax credits to help pay for health insurance and insurance companies would not be able to deny coverage or drop clients
– Education- Increase pay for teachers and principals and increase access to high-quality early education
– Immigration- Strict but fair enforcement of our laws, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers
Barack Obama
– Iraq war- All combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months and would not build any permanent bases in Iraq.
– Global Warming- Would increase fuel efficiency standards to 55 miles per gallon within 18 years
– Economy- “Making Work Pay” tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Credit would eliminate income taxes for 10 million people
– Healthcare- Those who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance would receive an income-related federal subsidy.
– Education- Address the dropout crisis by providing funding to school districts for intervention strategies in middle school. The first $4,000 of a college education would be completely free for most Americans
– Immigration- Promote economic development in Mexico, and increase the number of legal immigrants
John Edwards
– Iraq War- Withdraw all troops within nine to ten months
– Global Warming- Repeal subsidies for big oil companies and meet demand for more electricity through efficiency for the next decade
– Economy- Raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012, triple the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for adults without children and cut the marriage penalty
– Healthcare- Create regional “Health Care Markets” to give citizens bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan
– Education- Provide resources to states to help them get universal high-quality education programs for 4 year olds and raise pay for teachers in successful high-poverty schools by as much as $15,000 more a year
– Immigration- Would allow undocumented immigrants to pay a fine and learn English to earn American citizenship
John McCain
– Iraq War- More troops are necessary
– Global Warming- Limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster
– Economy- Permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), a savings of more than $2,700 for a middle class family with children
– Healthcare- Would provide all individuals with a $2,500 tax credit ($5,000 for families) to increase incentives for insurance coverage
– Education- Believes in choice and competition in schooling, including charter schools, home schooling and vouchers
– Immigration- Assimilation of immigrant population, including learning English, American history and civics, and the values of a democratic society. He does not have a plan for securing the border on his Web site
Mike Huckabee
– Iraq War- Huckabee would leave the troops in Iraq
– Global Warming- No tax consequences for the development of renewable, sustainable resources
– Economy- The FairTax would replace the Internal Revenue Code with a consumption tax, similar to the taxes on retail sales. Necessities would not be taxed
– Healthcare- Advocates policies that would encourage the private sector to seek innovative ways to bring down healthcare costs
– Education- Would provide bonuses for high-performing teachers in low-performing schools, but would not increase school budgets
– Immigration- The federal government must enforce existing laws by cracking down on rogue cities and towns that give benefits and protection to “illegals”Â
Mitt Romney
– Iraq War- Would leave troops in Iraq
– Global Warming- Develop more sources of energy, including more nuclear power, liquefied coal and renewable sources of energy
– Economy- Eliminate taxes on middle class savings, make the Bush tax cuts permanent, lower corporate tax rate, make health care expenses tax deductible and eliminate the death tax
– Healthcare- Expand and deregulate the private health insurance market to decrease health insurance costs
– Education- Promote school choice and provide a tax credit for parents who home school their kids
– Immigration- Issue a biometrically-enabled card, a card that uses physical characteristics such as DNA or fingerprints, to non-citizens and create a national database for non-citizens so employers can easily verify their legal status in this country
This information was compiled from the candidates’ Web sites: www.hillaryclinton,com, www.barackobama.com, www.johnedwards.com, www.johnmccain.com, www.mikehuckabee.com and www.mittromney.com
