Here’s how you can vote, and why The Sacramento Bee Editorial Board endorses candidates
Local journalism has experienced significant change over the last two decades as the digital disruption has created new user behaviors.
As a result, sticking to tradition requires its own explanation. Here’s a tradition The Sacramento Bee enthusiastically supports: Election endorsements.
The board has spent hours meeting with candidates early in 2020 in an effort to bring you perspectives on which candidates and ballot measures best represent our shared interests. We also want to ensure readers understand the purpose and intention of our process for endorsing.
Endorsements, like editorials, represent the collective opinion of the board. They do not reflect the individual opinions of board members, or the views of Bee reporters in the news section. Board members will disagree and endorsements are not always unanimous. The editorial board is part of The Bee’s opinion section, which operates independently from news.
The board includes McClatchy California Opinion Editor Gil Duran, Sacramento Bee/McClatchy West Region Editor Lauren Gustus, Sacramento Bee Assistant Opinion Editor Tess Townsend, Bee Opinion Columnist Marcos Breton, Deputy California Opinion Editor and Editorial Cartoonist Jack Ohman, and Bee President and Publisher Gary Wortel.
Unlike the board of a corporation or nonprofit, an editorial board has no influence over the operations of the larger news organization. When a candidate is endorsed, it has no bearing on how news reporters will cover that candidate’s race. News reporters do not participate in editorial board deliberations or weigh in on board decisions. They may observe candidate interviews.
How does the board choose who or what to endorse? Board members review publicly available information about candidates and ballot measures and The Bee’s news coverage. The board then interview candidates, ballot measure proponents, and measure opponents. Board members ask people about their qualifications and experience and question them about solutions to challenges in the community.
Why does the board make endorsements? Endorsement interviews provide an opportunity to hold incumbents accountable for their performance in office. They offer readers and would-be voters a perspective that goes beyond official ballot language, helping people make informed decisions. The board expects readers and voters to disagree with our conclusions. Endorsements help voters engage with the elections that impact them.
If you would like to share your own perspective on events important to the Sacramento region, write a letter to the editor by visiting tinyurl.com/editletters, or email an opinion essay (650-750 words) to opinion@sacbee.com.
How to vote
Visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/ to check your registration status and party affiliation.
Voters registered No Party Preference may participate in the Democratic, Libertarian or American Independent presidential primaries. The Republican, Green and Peace & Freedom parties require you to register with their party to vote in their primaries.
You have until election day to get the ballot for your desired party. If you prefer to vote by mail and you’ve received a ballot that doesn’t have the candidate options you want, you can call, email, fax, or send a letter to your county elections office requesting your preferred ballot. Your elections office needs to receive the communication by Feb. 25.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before election day if submitted by mail. Some counties have special drop-boxes for ballots. You may also turn the ballot in to elections officials, in person, at an early voting center. All county elections offices open as early voting centers 29 days before the election. Some counties have additional early voting centers opening at various points until election day. You may also vote in-person at these centers
Election day options are the same as before election day, except more voting centers will be open. Under a new law, California even allows you to register to vote and place your vote at the same time, at any local voting center, on election day. In some counties, you may vote at any voting center, not just the one nearest your home. Locations may differ from past years.
If you have more questions, please contact your county elections office: sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status
Our goal is to keep you informed and promote productive conversation. As always, we welcome your feedback and input.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.