Voter Service Report

VOTER SERVICE REPORT: 2007-2008 Frances Talbott-White, Director

The Elections

The 2007-2008 League year has been a busy one for Voter Service, with local and statewide elections in November, February, April, and June. We are still involved in fallout from the City of Los Angeles Municipal Election of May 2007, when a shockingly low voter turnout prompted calls for reform that may take the form of Charter Revisions, appearing as citywide ballot measures as early as November 2008.

The Services

Voter Registration is not a major emphasis within LWVLA, but we helped with drives hosted by LAUP (L.A. Universal Preschool) at the L.A. Convention Center; WrestleMania at Universal City, and the County Registrar of Voters’ ‘Midnight Madness’ event in Beverly Hills and Ladera Heights on May 19 (the deadline to register for the June 3 Primary.

LWVC’s printed ‘Pros & Cons’ on the statewide ballot measures were distributed for the February and June elections. The June issue was supplemented by LWV/LAC’s wraparound including short candidate statements in English and Spanish to cover county-level contests for District Attorney, County Supervisor, and Superior Court Judge.

A Pros & Cons Speaker Bureau to present unbiased explanations of statewide ballot measures was fielded under the direction of Ellen Pangarliotas and included at least two radio interviews in addition to the usual live presentations to community groups. Speakers are traditionally supported by a Ballot Measure Briefing – presented for the February and June elections in the form of a DVD produced with LWV/LAC. This was especially useful for speakers who presented ‘Pros & Cons’ at their Unit meetings, and four Units used an interview format developed by Tom Carson of LWV Glendale-Burbank.

The Election Hotline is in the process of a redesign that permits volunteers to answer voter questions from their homes via call forwarding through Skype.com.

Forums have been presented in March for the Culver City Municipal Election and in May for two Town Hall Meetings on Props 98 & 99 (City of West Hollywood; Hollywood United Neighborhood Council.

The printed Guide to Government was updated, redesigned, and distributed in English and Spanish. The on-line guidetogov.org is in use while under construction.

Smart Voter rose to new heights with strong intern support. VOTER SERVICE REPORT: 2007-2008 Frances Talbott-White, Director

LWVLA was represented on outreach committees supporting the L.A. City Election Division and the L.A. County Registrar of Voters.