BAKERSFIELD, Bakersfield (KBAK/KBFX) Concerns about how easily voters can find reliable information on ballot measures were raised during Tuesday’s Kern County Board of Supervisors meeting, as a public speaker warned that online resources don’t reach everyone.
“Although voter guides are available online at kernvote .com, not everyone knows it or uses the internet to research candidates and ballot measures,” the public presenter said.
Voters urged to start with California’s quick reference guide for 14 propositions (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
While Kern County and the California Secretary of State provide online voter resources, the meeting focused on awareness and access, particularly for voters who don’t know where to look or don’t use the internet.
Election attorney George Yin of the Kaufman Legal Group said he understands how overwhelming it can be for California voters to sort through the volume of election information.
“We have the voter initiative process here in California, and so we just have a lot of ballot measures to deal with. And I can totally relate to the idea of why there is so much information to sort through and how do you make sense of it all?” Yin said.
Voters urged to start with California’s quick reference guide for 14 propositions (Photo by Charlie Neibergall/Getty Images)
Yin recommended starting with California’s official voter information guide, which breaks down all 14 statewide propositions with impartial summaries and arguments for and against each measure.
He also suggested looking at multiple sources to better understand the measures.
“Cal Matters is another good one; Ballotpedia is another website. So sometimes, you know, voters have to look at a few different sources to get an overall picture of what these things are about,” Yin said.
For voters short on time, Yin recommended focusing on the quick reference guide and using the online resources he mentioned.
Voters urged to start with California’s quick reference guide for 14 propositions (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“If you don’t have that time, start with the quick reference guide. And look at some of those websites I’ve just mentioned, and I think you’ll be ahead of the game of most people,” Yin said.