City and County of San Francisco Voter Information Pamphlet and Sample Ballot Consolidated Primary Election March 5, 2002 Prepared by the Department of Elections City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections: 554-4375 El Departamento de Elecciones: 554-4366 : 554-4367 WEB VERSION www.sfgov.org/election TABLE OF CONTENTS Voter Information Pamphlet Consolidated Primary Election, March 5, 2002 GENERAL INFORMATION CANDIDATE STATEMENTS Election Officer Application . (Inside Front Cover) Democratic Party Primary. Begins on 12 Purpose of the Voter Information Pamphlet ...........3 State Senate, 8th District. .. 12 Your Rights as a Voter ...........................4 Jackie Speier . ...........................12 Early Voting/Access for the Disabled Voter . .. .5 State Assembly, 12th District. ................13 Permanent Absentee Voter (Permanent Vote By Dan Kelly . 13 Mail) . .. .. .. .6 Leland Yee . ................................13 New Election Laws . 8 State Assembly, 13th District. ................14 Telephoning the Department of Elections . 33 Harry Britt . .................................14 Rules for Arguments For and Against Ballot Measures . 35 Steve Phillips . ......................14 Words You Need to Know . .36 Holli Thier . .....................................15 Index .......................................104 Mark Leno . ..................................15 SAMPLE BALLOT . .........CENTER SECTION Republican Party Primary. Begins on 17 Quick Voters Reference Page ...(inside Sample Ballot Section) State Senate, 8th District. ..............17 Absentee Ballot Application . (Back Cover) Dennis Zell ..............................17 Location of your Polling Place ............(Back Cover) State Assembly, 12th District. .. 18 Permanent Absentee Voter Request Form . (Back Cover) Howard Epstein ...............................18 State Assembly, 13th District. .. 19 BALLOT INFORMATION Joshual Kriesel, Ph.D. .........................19 Gail Neira . ..............................19 Democratic Party ....................................11 Republican Party . .................................16 Nonpartisan Local Offices. .Begins on 24 American Independent Party . ................18 Superior Court Judge, Office #3 . .25 Green Party . ..................................21 Robert Sheridan . 25 Libertarian Party ....................... 22 Nancy L. Davis . 25 Natural Law Party .............................. 23 Superior Court Judge, Office #10.................26 Reform Party................................. 24 Sean F. Connolly . ................26 Nonpartisan . .. .25 Susan Lew. 26 Gail Dekreon . ................................27 Assessor-Recorder . ..........................28 PROPOSITIONS Doris M.Ward ...................................28 A Instant Runoff.................................37 Ronald Chun ....................................28 B Cost of Living Benefits....................47 Mabel Teng . ..................................29 C Non-U.S. Citizen Commission Participation ............. 55 Jim Rodriguez . 29 D Appointment of Planning Commission & Board of Appeals . 61 Richard D. Hongisto . 30 E Domestic Partner Benefits . 75 John Farrell . ..............................30 F Citizen Oversight of Bond Expenditures ............... 83 Public Defender . 31 G Outdoor Commercial Advertising . ..................... 95 SAN FRANCISCO VOTER INFORMATION PAMPHLET Published by the Department of Elections Printing by Alonzo Printing Company City and County of San Francisco Translations by La Raza Translation Services and One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48 Chinese Journal Corp. San Francisco, CA 94102-4634 Mailing Services by SourceOne Direct Cover photo provided by the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau: photo by Kerrick James On-Line PDF version for downloading 1 One Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place Department of Elections City Hall - Room 48 San Francisco, CA 94102-4634 Phone: (415) 554-4375 Fax: (415) 554-7344 January 2002 Dear Voter: Welcome to the March 5 California Consolidated Primary! This Voter Information Pamphlet (VIP) is your guide to this important election. As you can see, there are numerous primary candi- dates and ballot measures that require your consideration and selection – which is why this booklet is so full of detailed information. Our primary goal is to provide you with the information you need to make your choices and to participate fully in our society’s democratic processes. We urge you to read the VIP prior to going to the polls, and to do your electoral ‘homework’ in advance of March 5th to enable you to express your preferences for candidates and issues that are vital to San Francisco and to California. We at the Department of Elections also invite each and every one of you to work with us by becoming an Election Officer on Election Day, and/or by offering your property as one of the 660 polling locations throughout our City. While our Department is dedicated to meet and exceed the organizational requirements demanded by every election, we urge you to consider going beyond registering and voting – even though these remain our highest priorities – and join our outstanding Election Day volunteers by working at a precinct in your own neigh- borhood. Election Officers begin at 6:00 a.m. on Election Day, and work until approximately 9:00 p.m. Election Night. More than 3,000 San Franciscans served their City as Election Officers in the elections last November and December, and we are recruiting and training even more for the March 5th Primary. While it is work that requires close attention to detail, it also is highly satisfying to be part of the most precious process in our democracy – the right to participate in the electoral process. The Department of Elections pays for this important civic service, and we would be pleased to discuss specific details with you when you call the Precinct Services division at 415/554-4375, or visit us in person at Room 48 at City Hall. You also can access informa- tion on our web site at www.sfgov.org/election. If you bring along other family members, neighbors, school mates, or friends who may serve with you in a favorite association, you not only will enjoy Election Day with people you know and like but also will earn funds for your association. Please join us and serve our City! Because San Francisco has improved its elections technology, we now employ an optical scanning voting system called the Eagle. Please remember these tips about the Eagle technology: If you make a mistake while marking your ballot, please ask an Election Officer for a new ballot. The Eagle technology may misread a ballot where a voter has tried to correct an error. Your polling place has extra ballots in case you make a mistake and need another ballot. Your vote is private and secret. At the poll, you will receive your ballot in a folder designed for secrecy. Election Officers will be available to instruct you on how to use the folder to protect the privacy of your vote. The Department of Elections also provides absentee ballots that enable you to vote in the privacy of your own home. Absentee bal- lots may be obtained either by completing the request form found on the back of this VIP, or by writing to us at the address shown on this letterhead. This request must include your name, address and signature. An absentee ballot will be mailed to you, and if you select the Permanent Absentee Voter designation, you will receive absentee ballots for this and all future elections. Complete the absentee ballot and return it to the Department of Elections or at your local precinct before 8 p.m. on March 5, 2002. Remember, only one ballot may be mailed in the return envelope. Hand-delivered ballots will only be accepted if delivered by you, your spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, or a person residing in your household. The Department of Elections works very hard to protect the relationship of trust we have established with the voters of San Francisco. Our mission is to provide you with an electoral process that is fair, accurate and completely open to public scrutiny and public partici- pation. We are committed to earning, and sustaining, your confidence and your support in each and every election. Please call 415/554-4375 if you have any questions or comments, and feel free to contact us in person or via the web. We welcome your constructive suggestions at any time. Most importantly, however, please register and vote – and please sign up to work at a poll on Election Day. We need you as a decision-maker to shape our City’s, and our children’s futures. Tammy Haygood Director of Elections 2 Ballot Simplification Committee he Ballot Simplification Committee prepares Tsummaries (“The Way It Is Now,”“The Proposal,” John M. Odell, Committee Chair “A Yes Vote Means,” and “A No Vote Means”) of National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, measures placed on the ballot each election. The Northern California Chapter Committee also prepares a table of contents, an index of Allyson Washburn candidates and measures, a brief explanation of the ballot League of Women Voters pamphlet, definitions of terms in the pamphlet, a summary Dr. Anthony Ramirez of voters’ basic rights, and a statement as to the term, San Francisco Unified School District Betty J. Packard compensation and duties of each local elective office. Northern California Broadcasters Association Julia Moll, Ex officio Deputy City Attorney Tammy Haygood, Ex officio Director of Elections PURPOSE OF THE VOTER INFORMATION