Bicycling Monterey extends respect to everyone who takes time to inform themselves about candidates and issues, then votes according to their own beliefs and conscience.

This post includes:

• links to resources for voter registration and other voting info for all 50 states of the USA
• specific info for California and for Monterey County

Near the bottom of this post are
Bicycling-Specific Voter Resources.
(Look for the photo of bicycle
handlebars with an “I voted” sticker.)

This post is provided as an intro about voting, and to highlight some common areas of confusion. For the most accurate, detailed, and up-to-date information, visit official government websites:

United States – http://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote

California – http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/

Monterey County – http://www.montereycountyelections.us

Some people find non-governmental websites more user-friendly, but be careful to get info from reliable sources!

One widely trusted resource about registering to vote, finding your polling place, and more is nonpartisan website VOTE411.org, launched in 2006 by the League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonpartisan organization founded in 1920. Some additional non-governmental resources are also provided below.

For upcoming election dates,

and registration deadlines,

check your state’s website:

https://www.usa.gov/election-office.

ALL STATES – Remember to vote in other elections too:

In addition to national and state elections, your county will sometimes have “County-Administered Elections — upcoming Local Elections.” For example, for California counties: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/county-administered-elections/.

* * *

YOUTH – Special note for youth in All States:

Some states offer a pre-registration option for ages 16 and/or 17. Also, some states allow registered 17-year-olds who will be 18 by a general election to vote in a primary election. One non-governmental resource where you can learn more about this topic is http://www.headcount.org/think-youre-young-register/.

Looking for bicycling-specific voting resources? Scroll down.

* * *

United States of America

• In the USA, rules about voting differ for every state. The U.S. government website is a good place to start your research: http://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote!

• Voter registration info: http://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.

  If you miss your state’s voter registration deadline for voting in an upcoming election, your state may have a “safety net”—Same-Day Voter Registration, also known as Conditional Voter Registration—that will allow you to still cast your vote. To find out, check your state’s website: https://www.usa.gov/election-office. For example, for Californians: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg/

• VOTE411.org by the League of Women Voters (LWV) is a widely trusted resource. First-time voters may wish to refer to https://www.vote411.org/first-time-voter-checklist.

• Some people also like vote.org, launched in 2016. For example, here’s their info on early voting, and whether it is an option in your state: http://www.vote.org/early-voting-calendar/

California voters, note:

For any possible changes, and for the most accurate and complete information, visit the State of California website, http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/.

• Youth and other new voters may not know their rights. See the CA Voter Bill of Rights https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-bill-rights/. For example, California voters’ rights include (as of September 9, 2020—for any updates, check https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-bill-rights/): the right to vote if you are in line when the polls close; the right to drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any polling place in California; and more.

• Californians can register to vote on paper or online. Paper and online forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.
• Who can register to vote (or for ages 16 and 17, to pre-register)? How do I register? Where can I register? http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions/#voterreg
• What’s up with provisional voting? https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-resources/provisional-voting/
• Other FAQs: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/frequently-asked-questions/

More info for California YOUTH age 16 or 17

• Eager to vote? Be ready! If you pre-register at age 16 or 17, you’ll automatically become registered on your 18th birthday. Pre-registration info: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18/
• Want to help get more youth registering and voting? Refer to https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/castudentsvote/

More info for all Monterey County residents

• The Monterey County Elections Department website was redesigned and is now more user friendly. Nonetheless, as with most counties, it may not have the most current or complete information. When in doubt, contact Monterey County Elections Department by phone, by email, by  fax, or in person: https://www.montereycountyelections.us/about-us/. Or check the state’s website https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/.
• Sometimes Monterey County Elections Department has additional hours, such as Saturday hours near an election date. Check with them for any hours not posted on their website.
• Monterey County Elections Department home page: http://www.montereycountyelections.us
• In Spanish: https://www.montereycountyelections.us/home/lang/es
• Info in additional languages is included for voter registration and more. Refer to the voter registration information page http://www.montereycountyelections.us/register.htm. That page includes a link for people who want to register online; that link goes to the State of California site (e.g., English https://covr.sos.ca.gov/?language=en-US/ ). Or to register, pre-register (for age 16-17), or to check your registration status, just go directly to  http://registertovote.ca.gov

As mentioned elsewhere in this post, a county may sometimes have “County-Administered Elections — upcoming Local Elections,” e.g., http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/county-administered-elections/. (NOTE: Don’t be confused by that page. If Monterey County is listed as “No elections scheduled at this time,” that just means there are no county-administered local elections. It does not mean that voters in Monterey County do not have other upcoming elections in which they can vote, e.g., upcoming national and state elections.)

 

Do you want

government representatives who share your concerns about issues such as bicycling infrastructure, climate change, or gun law reform? Register and vote!

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As the League of Women Voters says,

“Democracy is not a spectator sport!” 

Non-governmental Monterey County resource: League of Women Voters of Monterey County:  https://my.lwv.org/california/monterey-county

Bicycling-Specific

Voter Resources

California Bicycle Coalition (calbike.org)

CalBike leadership includes advocating for bike-friendly legislation and tracking voting records of state senators and assembly members. 

Visit the CalBike website for legislative information, e.g., https://www.calbike.org/calbike-announces-2024-legislative-agenda/

For CalBike’s current election endorsements, check

https://www.calbike.org/take_action/bike-the-vote/.

Additional info:

• CalBike blog https://www.calbike.org/the_latest/
• CalBike newsroom https://www.calbike.org/newsroom/

Check #IBikeIVote and #BikeTheVote hashtags on social media platforms for additional information.

People for Bikes (peopleforbikes.org)

https://www.peopleforbikes.org/2024-voteforbikes

The League of American Bicyclists (bikeleague.org)

• Sometimes the Bike League website includes information on upcoming elections. The best way to check may not be using the site’s own search window but instead doing an advanced web search, i.e., “site:bikeleague.org vote” / 
  “https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Abikeleague.org+vote&t=h_&df=y&ia=web” /
• Archived note: U.S. Congressional voting records. As of 10/24/18, the League had recorded how members of Congress vote on issues that affect bicycling and walking, and the League planned to do that again in the future. With the current transportation bill expiring in 2020, there will be more U.S. Congressional votes coming. As for candidates, the League stated that they had a very difficult time getting campaigns to return completed questionnaires.  “Lesson learned; next time we will need more help in gathering completed questionnaires.”

 Register and Vote!

If you don’t register and vote, don’t whine. Improving the democratic system requires an informed electorate that votes.

#NationalVoterRegistrationDay National Voter Registration Day https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org serves to remind: please register so you can vote!