Voter turnout is impressively high in both the county and in Surf City; but with the election a mere week away, around three-fourths of ballots still have yet to be submitted.
There’s only one week until Election Day, and as California now offers more early voting options than ever before, it has become easier to cast your ballot ahead of time and skip the lines. Voter turnout across Orange County is surging, even surpassing 22% as of October 27th. However, despite this high turnout, Democrats and Republicans are still working around the clock to activate their base and convert undecided voters.
In Huntington Beach, residents can impact critical citywide, statewide, and nationwide elections. Here’s how you can vote today.
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, Huntington Beach has 13 voting locations––and you can even track wait times if you’re in a rush.
Three of these voting sites opened on October 26th and additionally offer drive-through services: the Edison Community Center (21377 Magnolia Street), the Murdy Community Center (7000 Norma Drive), and the Huntington Beach Central Library (7111 Talbert Ave). The remaining ten early voting sites will open on November 2nd; but if you must wait until November 5th, all vote centers will be open for Election Day voting from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM PST.
Voters in Huntington Beach can also utilize the secure ballot drop boxes or mail their ballots using their nearest USPS Post Office or USPS Mailbox with no postage required. The Registrar has an interactive tool to help you locate your nearest drop box to you, as well as a concise list including locations such as the Huntington Beach Civic Center (2000 Main Street), Golden West College (15744 Goldenwest Street), 5 Points Plaza (18591 Main Street) and more.
Huntington Beach has recently made national headlines for its refusal to kowtow to the state on major municipal issues—earning the city a reputation for championing local control. Despite California’s deep blue legislative makeup, Huntington Beach voters trend quite right of center. Earlier this year, the city made waves after voters approved Measure A, which requires a valid state ID to be presented to participate in city elections. In addition to a lawsuit from the state, legislators in Sacramento are also looking to ban Huntington Beach’s new law through Senate Bill No. 1174.
Here are the races and ballot measures to watch in Huntington Beach this time cycle.
The contest for the 47th Congressional District has been one of the most closely-watched in the nation. State Senator Dave Min (D) and Former State Assemblyman Scott Baugh (D) and are duking it out for current Congresswoman Katie Porter’s soon-to-be-vacant seat. It’s one of several tossup races that could potentially shift the balance of power in Congress.
Additionally, incumbent Republican Assemblywoman Diane Dixon is challenged by Democrat businesswoman Dom Jones for Assembly District 72.
Voters will also elect three City Council members. In the running are conservative-vetted candidates Don Kennedy, Edward Butch Twining, and Chad Williams, against progressive-vetted candidates Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton.
But those aren’t the only HB-specific seats up for grabs. Voters can also choose the next City Clerk and Treasurer. Current city clerk Robin Estanislau’s seat will either go to conservative candidate Lisa Lane Barnes or progressive candidate Regina Blankenhorn. Though all citywide seats are nonpartisan, it’s worth noting that conservatives have backed Alisa Backstrom for Treasurer, while progressives have not made an endorsement.
As for ballot measures, Huntington Beach voters can weigh in on Measure U, which would require voter approval for any zoning change or general fund that could have a “significant” environmental impact. This means if a land use project in question could impact the local environment, there’s an added layer of transparency by bringing it back to the voter. Then there are ten statewide ballot propositions––all of which, of course, Huntington Beach voters can weigh in on. Insiders have been watching Proposition 5, which would lower voter approval requirements for local governments to borrow money to fund affordable housing and some infrastructure projects and potentially burden middle and low-income families.
Prop. 32 has also been trending, as it proposes a state minimum wage increase from $16 to $18 an hour, which some groups fear will negatively impact small business owners. If Prop. 32 passes, fast food workers’ wages would increase to $20 starting in April, and health care workers’ wages would increase to $25 starting in October at the earliest. Other hotly debated propositions include Prop. 33, which would allow local governments to impose rent control on privately owned single-family homes, and Prop. 4, which would allow California to borrow $10 billion to respond to climate change.
These races cannot go unnoticed, as state lawmakers contribute to laws that govern California as a whole––from restrictions on gun sales to single-use plastic bans to in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and more. California’s State Senate only has nine Republicans among 31 Democrats, and California’s State Assembly has a Democrat supermajority as well. But, if Republicans flip five Senate seats minimum, the Democrats would lose their supermajority––barring them from passing things like tax increases despite unanimous opposition from the opposition party.
Once you’ve cast your ballot, whether by mail, at a Vote Center, or by drop box, you can track your ballot using Orange County’s Ballot Express service. They even offer updates through email and text, from ballot delivery to pickup to being officially counted by the Registrar.
Even in a big state like California or a big city like Huntington Beach, elections sometimes come down to razor-thin margins. That’s all the more reason to cast a ballot and let your voice be heard—it may tip the scales in a pivotal race.
