General Election

Information on the upcoming General Election (November 8th, 2022), including how and where you can vote, what it will decide, and what its impact would be. Also how ASB in schools can lead to students getting future congress positions.

      As you may or may not know, the California General Election is ending soon. All voting ballots must be sent out by November 8th and received by November 15th. Unlike the primary election, whose main goal is to narrow the number of eligible candidates for an office position. The General Election is to secure the elected candidates for their role in-office positions. These general elections are usually held at either state, local, or federal levels. Some official positions that are available Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Secretary of State, United States Senator, Attorney General, elections administrator, and Lieutenant Governor, along with many other positions to assist California’s Government.

      To submit your official vote you can send your official ballot in, which has been sent to all registered voters, or turn in it yourself. All counties have official drop-off locations and early voting booths. Most in-person voting booths offer same-day voter registration, as well as language assistance, accessible voting, and replacement ballots. Your ballot will contain statewide, federal, and judicial candidates of both parties. 

      If you or the adults around you are currently thinking about not voting in this election, think again! In some American elections, many have them have been separated by only a few votes. Only two years ago in 2020, the elected official for a place in the United States House of Representatives was won by a difference of only 6 voters! There have been hundreds of examples of cases like this in which less than 10 votes have only separated the elected official from another candidate. Make sure to tell the adults you live with to vote and to speak their personal opinions, remember for when you become an official voter at 18 that you can have your vote heard too!

      If you’re under the age of 18, or not a U.S citizen, you cannot vote in any close elections. However many schools around the country and the world have ASB school positions. If you’ve never thought about running for a position, you should take it into consideration. Student council roles have been proven to improve leadership, communication, and knowledge skills. It gives students the opportunity to feel in control of their school’s decisions with elections, and have the ability to request ideas. Even if you are not interested in running for a position, school elections are also a great way to prepare for when you can vote, and exercise your American rights. Next time a student election starts in your school, run for a position and cast your essential vote!

Leni Frommel-Martinez
Sofia Diamond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources

  1. https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-nov-8-2022 
  2. https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2022-general/quick-facts.pdf
  3. https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2022-general/cert-list.pdf 
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/General_election