Election 2008 Proposition Resources

While voters -- especially new voters -- are primarily concerned with choosing between the two candidates in the upcoming election, it is also very important to be educated about the California ballot propositions come November. California's ballot includes twelve statewide propositions, 1A through 12. Ballot measures 4 and 8 have been generating a lot of press and attention, as Prop. 4 would change the California constitution to prohibit abortions for minors without parental consent, and Prop. 8 would change the California constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. These issues are so important that there are even pro-and-con widgets devoted to them!





It is important to educate yourselves about all of the propositions on November's ballot. Here are some resources I've found that clearly outline all the issues:

California General Election Official Voter Information Guide -- This is the web version of the two official voter guides mailed to all registered voters in the state. The website provides an unbiased summary of each of the propositions in addition to a legislative analyst's estimate of the net state and local government fiscal impact of each ballot measure. As in the printed voter guide, the site also includes arguments for and against each proposition and the actual text of the proposed laws.

California Voter Foundation Online Guide -- The California Voter Foundation's guide to the propositions features bullet-pointed summaries of each of the ballot measures as well. The site also includes links to the official 'Yes' and 'No' websites for each proposition in addition to a list of the government officials who officially endorse and oppose each measure. Even more interesting, each proposition's page features a chart that outlines the campaign finances related to the measure -- namely, which people and organizations donated in support of the proposition.

Institute of Government Studies -- In the "Hot Topics 2008" portion of the website, the Institute of Government Studies at Berkeley provides detailed information about each of the propositions on the California November ballot. Their guides include descriptions of ballot measures, background materials, pro-and-con websites, newspaper articles and editorials, opinion polls, political endorsements, and financial-contribution websites.