June 5, 2012 - Election Day sees changes - Polls open at 7 a.m.

Paper: Santa Maria Times (CA)
Title: Election Day sees changes - Polls open at 7 a.m.
Date: June 5, 2012
Author: Staff report

Today is Election Day — the polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. — and if you’re like many voters, you may find your precinct numbers and polling places are different as a result of redistricting changes that occurred following the 2010 U.S. Census.

If that’s the case, find your new precinct number, whether you’re registered to vote, and your polling place by calling 1-800-SBCVOTE, or visit www.sbcvote.com.

The information is also available at sbcassessor.com/Elections/Elections.aspx.

In San Luis Obispo County go to www.slocounty.ca.gov/clerk/elections.

For complete, up-to-the-minute election coverage go to the Santa Maria Times website at www.santamariatimes.com beginning at 8 p.m.

At stake locally are congressional, assembly, senate and county supervisor seats. Also on the ballot are several local measures and two statewide measures — Proposition 29 would raise the tax on cigarettes by $1 a pack for cancer research, and Proposition 28 limits legislator’s terms in office.

And if your ballot looks a little different when you get to the voting booth, that’s because in 2010, California voters approved Proposition 14 creating the “Top-Two Primary,” which replaced the traditional party-nominated primary.

Under the Top-Two Primary laws, all candidates running, regardless of their party preference, appear on a single combined ballot, and voters can vote for any candidate from any political party. For example, you’ll see 24 names listed as state senate candidates.

Renee Bischof, Santa Barbara County chief deputy registrar of voters, said the Santa Barbara County Elections Division Offices Offices will be open today from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

She said the county is expecting between 40 and 45 percent voter turnout, normal for a presidential primary.

Section: Government
Record Number: 8155dd198a7ea4282882f4133196ec9eec
Copyright, 2012, Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria, CA