Pasadenans Urged to Register on National Voter Registration Day

With the next general election just six weeks away, Pasadena city officials and organizations are urging locals to make sure they’re ready to participate on Tuesday, also known as National Voter Registration Day.

The city launched efforts to encourage voter registration in earnest last month to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, through which women gained the right to vote. As the Nov. 3 election grows closer, time is running out.

The final day to register to vote online is Oct. 19, and registrations by mail must be postmarked no later than Oct. 19, according to state election officials. Registration can be completed online in 10 languages at registertovote.ca.gov/#mainCont.

Registration can be done at registrar’s offices or polling places up to election day, though voters will need to use the Same Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration. 

Conditional ballots will be counted once registration is completed. A list of polling places and ballot drop-off locations where, where same-day registration can also be completed, can be found online at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.

All voters registered by Oct. 19 are to receive a mail-in ballot automatically as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state officials said. A list of polling places can be found online at caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov.

Early in-person voting at local polling places in Los Angeles County is to begin Oct. 24, officials said.

Upon being installed as the new president of the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, Martha Zavala immediately turned her attention to making sure people are registered and motivated to vote.

She said she was worried that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic might hamper voter registration and turnout.

The group hosted a socially distanced voter registration drive on Aug. 29 at the Southern California Children’s Museum. And the organization’s website at my.lwv.org/california/pasadena has been plastered with election-related information.

Pasadena Election Issues

In addition to the federal, state and county ballot questions, Pasadena voters will be tasked with choosing the city’s next mayor, choosing several Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education members and deciding whether to continue funding city emergency services through electrical rate funds via the Pasadena City Services Protection Measure, also called Measure P.

In the mayoral race, Mayor Terry Tornek is being challenged by Councilman Victor Gordo.

Seats are up for election in three PUSD districts.

Jennifer Hall Lee, Wayne Hammack and Mike Crowley are vying for a seat in District 2. 

Incumbent Board Member Scott Cahalan will be facing Scott Harden in District 4.

And in District 6, Milena Albert, Priscilla Hernandez, Tina Wu Fredericks and Crystal Czubernat are competing for a seat on the Board.

Measure P would amend the City Charter to allow the city to continue collecting  electric rates and using no more than 12% of them, amounting to an anticipated $18 million annually, to “maintain 911 response, the finding of fire, paramedic, public health, senior and homeless services, street repairs and other city services.”

The measure would not increase taxes or utility rates and would remain in effect until ended by voters.

It is meant to address a pending class action lawsuit, according to “The City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis, which can be viewed online at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/city-clerk/wp-content/uploads/sites/21/City-Attorneys-Impartial-Analysis.pdf?v=1600723529088.

“The measure would ratify the City’s rate-setting practices by expressly authorizing the City to set electric rates that are sufficient to pay (a) the expenses of the electric utility and (b) the annual transfer to the General Fund, clarifying that the City had this authority during all periods involved in the lawsuit,” City Attorney Michele Bagneris wrote. “It would also combine the two current transfers, allow the total amount transferred to the General Fund to be used for any municipal purpose, and reduce the maximum transfer from 16 percent to 12 percent.”

Voting in favor of Measure P “amends the Charter to clearly allow the City to continue funding the transfer through electric rates to pay for general City services,” according to Bagneris.

“A ‘no’ vote means the proposed Charter amendment would not go into effect,” she said. “If the City loses the lawsuit and this measure does not pass there could be an annual reduction of revenue for the General Fund of up to $18 million, reflecting the loss of the transfer. At that time, and to account for the loss of revenue, the City Council may need to consider eliminating or reducing City services.”