Before we begin, PLEASE clear your cache to make sure you are seeing the most up-to-date information. (How to clear your cache.)
Hello, hello, and welcome!
Every year since 2004 (give or take), I’ve done my best to understand the measures, propositions and candidates’ priorities. Some of my choices may change before November 5th. To make sure you are seeing my most up-to-date info, click on “How to clear your cache,” above.
If you’re on my list, you received an email on October 1st that this site was ready for prime time. If you’re not yet on it and feel left out, let me know by sending an email to: rabbitt101 (at) aol (dot) com. (note there are 2 Ts in this rabbit). Your subject line: ADD ME. I send specific, easy actions and a dollop of HOPE–and do my best not to clutter your inbox).
The information is based on my research and that of my many smart friends.
The Resources section at the very bottom is full of websites that can help you decide who and what to vote for. (Thanks in advance to those who let me know about any wonky links.)
➡ FLASHBACK: 2016
We’ve learned the hard way: we can’t rest on our laurels in this (any) election.
A quick story about this: my very smart friend Ray worked at the Toronto Star during the 2016 election. After the election, his wife, my very smart friend Denise, packed and sent me the front page they expected to print (all the while trying not to cry): a huge photo of Hillary Clinton with the caption, “Madam President.” It hangs in my office to this day.
And let’s get one thing straight right away:
IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO VOTE
IN DOWN-BALLOT RACES
“In fact, some would argue that these races are the most important part of the ballot. The most pressing issues that we’ve seen crop up in our area—including hate, violence, and attacks on our community—are going to be solved by our city council members and school board officials.” ~ from the Los Angeles LGB Center
“Often the most direct impact you have as a voter is on the state and local races and ballot proposals farther down the ballot. Lesser-known officials like judges, city council members, prosecutors, or state senators can have a significant impact on your day-to-day life.” ~ from Know Your Ballot/UMICH
SO ~ let’s lace up our marching shoes, make our best educated guesses all the way down our ballots, help someone else vote all the way down their ballot, and celebrate! ~April
“Nobody hears your boos. They’ll hear your vote.” ~ President Barack Obama
Hi there, Manhattan Beach and other voters ~ welcome to the Great Election Adventure, November 2024!
Click on any one of the sections buttons below to jump to them right now.
This election is, to put it lightly, consequential (I’ve linked that to a thesaurus, so you can choose your own word for what we’re facing.)
Do you really want someone else to vote on your behalf? If you’re not sure how you feel about an issue or a candidate, check out the terrific voting resources below.
Note: I generally don’t comment on candidates or issues unless they are on my own ballot.
If you live in Los Angeles county, make a plan to vote here.
- Not registered? We’re lucky: California offers Same Day Voter Registration at the Polls
- If you’re mailing it, your ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day, November 5, 2024.
- Need a replacement ballot? I never got mine for the June primary. If this happens to you, go here or call 800-815-2666. To my surprise, my ballot arrived by mail VERY quickly.
Questions about California elections?
Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About Elections But Were Afraid to Ask
National Candidates
State Candidate
Los Angeles County Candidates
Los Angeles County Judges
Judges are the reason I began publishing my ballot more than 20 year ago. (For more info on this, scroll below the resources section, where I talk about my wonderful uncle, Raphael Konigsberg)
In deciding who to vote for, I solicit the opinions of very smart friends (depending on the election, this may include lawyers, judges, current and former elected officials).
I also consider the Los Angeles County Democratic Party , Stonewall Democratic Club, the Los Angeles Times Superior Court endorsements as well as the LA County Bar Association ratings, and sometimes more.
Note: Sometimes I’m puzzled/alarmed to see that some judges one or more of my sources support are also recommended on this ultra right site.
Which simply reminds me that politics is an art, not a science.
Look ~ we’re all trying to find the green button, the best candidate, the golden ticket.
But we can’t possibly know how someone will act until they’re in office. So: research. Ask friends. Consider your choices. Listen to your gut and take your best guess. Thank you.
Manhattan Beach Candidates
There are three open seats for Manhattan Beach City Council and six candidates running.
I am voting for the following two who I know best, listed in alphabetical order.
For more info, read MB United's assessment of the MB City Council candidates here.
(Full disclosure: I am a member of MBU's leadership team)
State of California Propositions
Los Angeles County Measures
Beach Cities Measure
Manhattan Beach Measures
Fabulous Voter Resources ~ dive in!
“Keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t forget to have fun doin’ it.
Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cat, rejoice in all the oddities
that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin’ ass and celebration’ the sheer joy of a good fight,
be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.” ~ Molly Ivins
- Be inspired by this 2:35 minute video posted by Shannon Watts. (Make sure to click on the volume symbol at the bottom right of the video to hear her)
- VOTE411 ~ This site is easy to use. Compare candidates. Dive deep: who contributed to this campaign and how much? What organizations are behind this candidate or proposition?
- LAist’s Voter Game Plan This the LA NPR station that I listen to–(now that there’s some good news to listen to again.) Their reporters have compiled a terrific website just for YOU. Worth exploring. Take a deep dive, or simply get a quick understanding of a topic or candidate at LAist’s fabulous, well-researched site. It offers separate sections on topics for each proposition and candidate such as, “What does the LA County District Attorney do?”, “What’s at stake?”, “Follow the money”, “In their own words” and more.
- Register to vote in your state HERE ~ a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the candidates and measures on your ballot.
- Californians: REGISTER WHERE YOU VOTE–-AND VOTE that day. Hooray for California Secretary of State’s office!
- LA County Registrar Recorder County Clerk ~ check out your voting options (military and overseas voters, vote by mail, vote by ballot drop box, vote in-person, check out their interactive sample ballot, and learn about mobile vote centers)
- League of Women Voters Beach Cities ~ this is my LWV. (Fun fact: the League was created in 1920. Read more here)
- If you live in Torrance, you’re lucky to have a WONDERFUL resource by a terrific, experienced reporter. Take a look and then subscribe to Take Back Torrance, ~ you’ll thank me.
- And if you live in El Segundo, check out Sweat Equity Alliance
- California Church IMPACT’s ballot propostions recommendations 2024 My very smart sister sent them to me and said: “A former nun…spoke at the synagogue years ago and she and I have shared political love ever since. This is the group she worked with.”
- Opposition: see how the far right votes here. Very useful to see who not to vote for. (“News and Resources from a Christian Worldview” ~ argh)
- CalMatters Voter Guide (also on instagram:@calmatters) CalMatters is a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization…”We are the only journalism outlet dedicated to covering America’s biggest state, 39 million Californians and the world’s fifth largest economy.” I’ve copied lots of material from CalMatters onto this site. (I’ve been using CalMatters for a long time and never realized they survived on donations. This is the first year I donated, and I made it a larger-than-usual donation to atone for my sins.)
- The California Democratic Party’s VOTER HOTLINE Voting Questions? Call CADEM Voter Hotline: 1-(877) 321-VOTE (8683) It’s currently Open (9am–6pm M-F). The Hotline will resume full hours of operation in October and will run through the General Election on November 5, 2024. The Voter Protection line will be open 7am–8pm on Tuesday November 5th
- The California Democratic Party’s Endorsements
- CAvotes.org ~ the League of Women Voter’s Education Fund’s site. Click on “Go Vote,” and become a wizard in all things election-related. While you’re there, consider making a donation (contributions to the League’s Education Fund are tax deductible.)
- Beach Cities Democrats ~ my local Dem club. They post their endorsements.
- Los Angeles Times endorsements This link may or may not work for you. Please support local journalism!
- Stonewall Democratic Club According to Wikipedia: The Stonewall Democratic Club was established in 1975 in Los Angeles, the first ‘Stonewall Democratic Club’ in the country established for LGBT individuals and straight allies committed to achieving equality for all and to advancing progressive and feminist values through the Democratic Party. (The National Stonewall Democratic Federation was a national organization of LGBT Democratic clubs and individuals founded in 1998, in Kansas City, Missouri. On January 1, 2013, National Stonewall suspended operations due to a financial deficit.)
- Vote Save America Just go here–it’s an extraordinary in-your-face site. It’s produced by the folks at Pod Save America.
- Swing Left ~ Swing Left’s website opens with: STOP TRUMP. START HERE. In 2024, the path to victory runs through 12 key states: the Swing Left Super States.
- Sister District’s Down-Ballot Tool Kit ~ “Many Democrats “roll off” their ballots after voting at the top of the ticket, and we lose voters who could make a difference in vital state legislative races and other down-ballot contests.”
- Indivisible ~ “Defeat Maga. Save Democracy.” ~ They’re a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.
- Field Team 6 Their tagline is “Register Democrats. Save the World.” Field Team 6 meets people where they are – via phone, text, postcard, social media, and voter drives. Armed with Voterizer.org, they track down “every good-hearted eligible voter we can, and get them on the voter rolls where they belong.”
- Blue Voters Guide ~ “Let endorsements guide you” ~ On this site you have the option of choosing candidates one at a time OR choosing an organization you have an affinity for and building your ballot based on that group’s recommendations. Pretty cool. And you know what I just noticed? If you click on https://bluevoterguide.org/endorsers ~ you’ll find aprilsballot.com (!) (insert head exploding emoji here)
- Open Secrets ~ Following the Money in Politics. “Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, OpenSecrets is the nation’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Our mission is to track the flow of money in American politics and provide the data and analysis to strengthen democracy. Our vision is for Americans to use this knowledge to create a more vibrant, representative and accountable democracy.”
MB United ~ “Advocacy Rooted in Community” ~ MB United represents a broad coalition committed to a Manhattan Beach that is welcoming, inclusive, safe and supportive for residents, business, employees and visitors. We advocate for city leadership and policy decisions that promote these goals through grassroots community action and reliable public information. If you live in Manhattan Beach, please consider subscribing to our weekly newsletter which includes summaries of school board and city council meetings, profiles of movers and shakers who are making a difference, as well as local events and businesses.
The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance is a grassroots organization whose steely focus is on the potential for an accidental HF release at the Torrance Refinery. This video shows a 2015 explosion at the refinery, when a piece of equipment weighing 80,000 lbs was sent flying and only missed hitting a tank of superheated HP by a few feet. It would have been “catastrophic” to the surrounding communities.
Click here for videos and maps of the horrendous consequences if MHF (the deadly acid modified hydrofluoric acid) is released by the Torrance Refinery or the Wilmington Refinery. It nearly happened in 2015, and can happen again.
Peace Action ~ When I was 9 or 10, I sent a whole week’s allowance (2 quarters scotchtaped to a piece of cardboard) to the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE). Of all the groups I give money to, I save my biggest donation for Peace Action, which is a lean, efficient and politically pragmatic organization. Once a year, a Peace Action staffer comes over for lunch and teaches me a TON about the peace movement and specifically what Peace Action is doing to move our politicians, our policies, our country towards peace. Contact me if you’d like to join us for lunch: rabbitt101 (at) aol (dot) com with the header: PEACE ACTION
Movement Voter Project ~ “How do we win? Fund the ground game.” Help MVP move $100 million to local grassroots groups turning out the hardest-to-reach voters who can tip the scales in the places that matter most. MVP raises millions of dollars and supports volunteers in more than 600 grassroots groups of color, youth, and LGBTQ individuals in key states. Local groups are best at registering, motivating, and turning out voters. These are the groups that help elect people who will protect our electoral system and democracy.
The LA County Bar Association rates judges. LACBA considers the following when interviewing and evaluating judicial candidates:
(1) Integrity and character
(2) Judgment and intellectual capacity
(3) Fairness
(4) Experience
(5) Industry and diligence
(6) Judicial temperament, including whether the candidate would be courteous and considerate of counsel, parties, witnesses and jurors, andwhether the candidate is even-tempered
(7) Professional ability and knowledge of the law
(8) Health problems that might affect the candidate’s ability to serve as a judge
(9) General reputation in the community
(10) Civic and community activities
(11) Candor in preparing the Personal Data Questionnaire and list of references, and responding to inquiries by Committee members
(12) Other relevant matters of concern including any issues relating to potential bias
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So…why the heck do I tell you and your friends how I voted?
I started this site because I used to call my brilliant uncle Raphael Konigsberg ~ (see also this Konigsberg vs the State Bar) and ask him how to vote–especially for judges. I mean, who knew how to pick judges? When he died, I said, “So now who’ll tell me how to vote?”
Then I realized, “Uh-oh…”
So. I’ve been researching, comparing, and sharing my ballot with friends, and friends of friends for more than 20 years. Many thanks to the individuals and groups who continue to share their views with me.
If you’d like to be on my political email list, email me at:
rabbitt101 (at) aol (dot) com with the header: ADD ME