election 2020

'THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE': OFFICIAL ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE FINALIZES THAT BIDEN WON AND TRUMP LOST

By Brett Wilkins, staff writer

Originally published by Common Dreams under a Creative Commons license

December 14, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - Members of the Electoral College convened in state capitals across the nation on Monday to cast their official votes for president, and despite a desperate and doomed attempt by President Donald Trump to put forth a slate of "alternative electors," the official tallies put Joe Biden that much closer to becoming the 46th president of the United States.


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CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS: FINAL 2020 RESULTS

By Pennell Paugh

December 13, 2020 (Sacramento) – California’s Secretary of State certified election returns on December 11 for the statewide ballot propositions. Below are the final results.


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WARNER SPRINGS SCHOOL BOARD RACE ENDS IN TIE, CAPPING OFF A WILD WEEK

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photo via CC by NC-ND:  a coin toss or other game of chance will determine the outcome in this race
 
Update December 16, 2020:  Gene Doxey won the coin toss -- and the seat on the Warner Sprngs Unified School District board.
 
December 9, 2020 (Warner Springs) – It’s been a wild week in Warner Springs.  First, an earthquake centered near the tiny mountain town jolted residents awake on Sunday morning. Then high winds prompted SDG&E to shut off power in the area for multiple days, forcing closure of schools in the Warner Springs Unified School District.
 
Now, an election for one of three seats on the school board has ended in a draw. Gene Doxey and Terry Cox each got 352 votes, tying for third place. There’s an important lesson to be learned for parents and students:  every vote counts!

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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO BEGIN TRANSITION TO PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN'S TEAM

By Miriam Raftery

November 23, 2020 (Washington D.C.) – Today, President Donald Trump acknowledged that he has instructed his administration to begin the transition to President-Elect Joe Biden and his team.

The announcement came on Twitter, after Michigan and Georgia certified their electors and a judge dismissed Trump’s challenge in Pennsylvania.  Biden won the popular vote by more than 6 million votes and has 306 electoral votes; 270 are needed to win.

In a Tweet today, Trump stated that he was recommended that General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy “do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”


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SOME EAST COUNTY RACES FLIP, OTHERS TIGHTEN IN LATEST ELECTION RETURNS

By Miriam Raftery
 
Photos by Erik Herrara:  poll worker wears protective gear during pandemic; voters head to poll on Election Day in Santee.
 
November 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Amid a pandemic, 80.7% of registered voters in San Diego County have cast ballots. Of more than 1.9  million registered voters, over 1.5 million have voted – and more than 1.4 million of those opted to vote by mail.  Only a little over 166,000 voted at the polls.

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HOME STATE ADVANTAGE: WHAT A VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS MEANS FOR CALIFORNIA

By Laurel Rosenhall, CalMatters

CalMatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  President-elect Joe Biden arrives with his running mate, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to speak in Wilmington, Deleware, on the evening before the Associated Press called the race for them. Her role is likely to be an asset for her home state of California. Photo by Carolyn Kaster, AP Photo

November 7, 2020 (Sacramento) - Goodbye, state of resistance. Hello, state of influence. 

California’s status has shifted dramatically with the election of Joe Biden as the next president. The reasons are both political—deep blue California will have more inroads to a White House controlled by Democrats—and personal: For just the second time in American history, a Californian will serve as vice president. 

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CALIFORNIANS WAIVE LABOR LAW FOR UBER AND LYFT; KEEP CASH BAIL AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION BAN; PROP AND HOT RACE CALLS

By Ben Christopher, CalMatters 

CalMatters is an independent public interest journalism venture covering California state politics and government.

Photo:  Volunteer poll worker David Saunders helps a voter at a Los Angeles Elementary School polling place on Election Day. Early California results provided some answers but remaining questions. Photo by Tash Kimmell for CalMatters

November 7, 2020 (Sacramento) - California’s app-based corporate luminaries such as Uber and Lyft just waged the most expensive state ballot measure campaign in U.S. history—and it paid off big time, allowing those companies to thwart the will of all three branches of California government. 


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WELCOME TO A DEM-CONTROLLED COUNTY

Democrats appear to have taken control of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for the first time in at least a generation. But that doesn’t mean they’ll automatically agree on what to prioritize, or how to go about it.

By Jesse Marx and Maya Srikrishnan, Voice of San Diego

Photo:  from left: Democrats Terra Lawson-Remer, Nathan Fletcher and Nora Vargas / Photos by Adriana Heldiz

November 4, 2020 (San Diego) - Democrats appear to have taken control of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors for the first time in at least a generation.


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50TH DISTRICT RACE WITH CAMPA-NAJJAR, ISSA TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Update 11:30 p.m.: Darrell Issa has taken the lead with 60.7% of votes tallied.  In San Diego County, Issa has 51.8% or 116,784 votes. Campa-Najjar has 48.8% or 111,412 votes.  This does not include south Riverside County, which skews more conservative.

 
 
By Kendra Sitton
 
November 3, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- The race to replace Representative Duncan Hunter is shaping up to be a close election that will likely not be called until the final votes are counted after Nov. 20. 

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SARA JACOBS WINS RACE FOR 53RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

By Kendra Sitton

November 3, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- In the race to replace Representative Susan Davis in the 53rd District, Sara Jacobs took a decisivie lead over City Council President Georgette Gomez. As of 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Gomez trailed by over 40,000 votes and conceded the race to Jacob.

Both candidates ran as progressives in a heavily blue district.

Georgette Gomez is San Diego’s current City Council President and representative of District 9. Before holding office; she was an environmental justice organizer.

Sara Jacobs has not held elected office before but she is the granddaughter of Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs. She has previously worked in the State Department and is a childhood anti-poverty advocate.

Both women are vying to fill the seat vacated by Susan Davis who is retiring. She previously held the seat for almost 20 years and was considered more moderate than her district.


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LEMON GROVE MAYOR VASQUEZ WINNING, BUT COUNCILMAN ARAMBULA MAY LOSE SEAT

By Miriam Raftery
 
November 3, 2020 (Lemon Grove) – Lemon Grove Mayor Vasquez, the first Black mayor in San Diego County, appears heading to reelection with 40.25% of the vote and more than 57% of votes tallied.  Councilman Jerry Jones has 33.07%, with Kamaal Martin and Christopher Williams trailing at 18.47% and 8.22% respectively.

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FEARING UNREST AFTER ELECTION, LEADERS CALL FOR CIVILITY

By Miriam Raftery

November 3, 2020 (San Diego) – With some downtown businesses boarding up over concerns about potential civil unrest once national election results are announced, a coalition of civil rights and business leaders today held a press conference calling on elected leaders to sign a civility pledge to urge  a civil and safe election regardless of the results. 


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66% OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY VOTERS HAVE ALREADY CAST BALLOTS AS ELECTION DAY BEGINS

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Mayoral candidate Barbara Bry drops off her mail-in ballot at the La Jolla branch library on Election Day. Photo by Chris Stone

November 3, 2020 (San Diego) - As Election Day begins, nearly 1.3 million San Diego County residents have already voted — a 66% early turnout that matches the total turnout in the 2018 gubernatorial election.


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NEARLY HALF OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY'S 1.95 MILLION VOTERS HAVE NOW CAST BALLOTS

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Voters drop off a mail-in ballot at the San Diego Registrar of Voters office in Kearny Mesa. Photo by Chris Stone

October 30, 2020 (San Diego) - In an early-voting surge seen across the country, nearly half of San Diego County’s 1.95 million voters have cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 election, the Registrar of Voters reported Thursday.


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NEW POLL SHOW ISSA PICKS UP LEAD IN 50TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

By Miriam Raftery

 

Photos:  Darrell Issa, left, and Ammar Campa-Najjar, right

 

October 30, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- A new San Diego Union-Tribune/10 News poll conducted by Survey USA shows Republican Congressman Darrell Issa with a double-digit lead over Democratic opponent Ammar Campa-Najjar in the 50th Congressional District race to fill the seat left vacant by Duncan D. Hunter’s resignation. The poll has Issa leading with 51% to Campa-Najjar’s 40%, with 9% undecided.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: FOR WHOSE VISION DO WE VOTE?

By Patrick Osio

October 30, 2020 (San Diego) -- Conventional political wisdom dictates there are two main factors that propel a sitting president to reelection victory – positive economy and low unemployment.  Arguments can be made that President Trump inherited these two factors from the Obama years. But those arguments make no difference, simply because under Trump economy growth, rising new employment and decreasing unemployment continued.


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TIGHT RACE FOR 50TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEAT, POLLS INDICATE

East County News Service

October 27, 2020 (San Diego) -- A new survey released today by Strategies 360 showed each of the candidates winning 42% of likely voters who said they have already decided or are leading toward a candidate. Another 16% remain completely undecided.

 

The Cook Political Report upgraded California’s Congressional 50th district competitive rating on October 21st. Dave Wasserman’s ratings change indicates that the race is more competitive than it was in 2018 against Duncan D. Hunter, as Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar battles former Congressman Darrell Issa for the seat left vacant by Hunter’s resignation after pleading guilty to a federal corruption charge.


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RAMONA ELECTION: SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES

By Robin N. Kendall

Photo, left:  Joe Stupar

October 23, 2020 (Ramona) - In Ramona Unified School District, residents may vote for two candidates to fill seats on the school board. The four candidates are: Daryn Drum (Retired Firefighter), Dawn Perfect (Parent/Board Member), John Rajcic (Retired Educator/Businessman) and Joe Stupar (Chamber Executive Director). 


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WARNER UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTION

By Robin N. Kendall
 
October 9, 2020 (Warner Springs) -- Residents in Warner Unified School District may vote for three out of six candidates for school board in this November’s election. This small district is located in the far northeast sector of San Diego County in rural Warner Springs, California. It serves just over 2,100 students in grades preschool through twelfth grade. In addition to Warner Elementary, Middle, and High Schools, the district operates San Jose Continuation School, All Tribes Charter School and California Pacific Charter School.

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LA MESA-SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION, PART TWO, AREA 5

By Robin N. Kendall
 
October 8, 2020 (La Mesa-Spring Valley) -- Voters in the southern part of Spring Valley will have a choice of four candidates to fill the open seat for trustee on the La Mesa Spring Valley School District Board. The seat was previously filled by Jim Long, whose term has expired. This part of the district is called Area 5 and includes Avondale, Rancho, and La Presa Elementary Schools, as well as STEAM Academy and Kempton Literacy Academy.

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GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL TRUSTEE ELECTION: AREA 2

By Robin N. Kendall
 
Photo: GUHSD Area 2 candidates Elva Salinas, Jim Stieringer, and Justin Slagle
 
October 8, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- Voters in East County’s Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) Area No. 2 will need to study the candidates carefully to choose their next trustee. Three candidates with divergent views will help chart the course for the area’s teens and next generation of workers and college students. 

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CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS NOVEMBER 3, 2020

By Pennell Paugh

October 7, 2020 (San Diego) – California voters will have 11 statewide ballot measures on their ballots for the Nov. 3 election.  They span a range of issues including medical research support, school funding, restoring affirmative action, voting rights for parolees, voting age, property taxes, criminal justice reforms, rent control, employment status of rideshare drivers, kidney dialysis, consumer privacy, and bail reforms.  Below are detailed descriptions on all of the state ballot propositions, along with arguments for and against.

All registered voters should receive ballots in the mail this week, which can be mailed in of dropped off at these drop-off locations.  You can also vote in person Oct. 31 through Nov.3 from 7 a.m. to 8  p.m., though there are fewer locations than in the past.  Find your polling place here.  Not yet registered? You can register through Oct. 30 at https://www.SDVOTE.com.


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SARA JACOBS: 'THE GENERALS' WOULD HELP REMOVE TRUMP IF HE LOSES, WON'T LEAVE

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

View the link to the full forum here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQasnog4dBk#action=share 

Photo:  Jodie Lorea (top left) kept Sara Jacobs (below left) and Georgette Gómez to their 2-minute time limits after moderator Chris Jennewein asked the questions.

October 4, 2020 (San Diego) - Congressional candidate Sara Jacobs suggested Saturday that “the generals and the military” would play a role in removing President Trump from office if he loses the election but won’t cede power.


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SUPPLEMENTAL BALLOTS TO GO TO EAST COUNTY VOTERS IN DEHESA, HARBISON CANYON AND GRANITE HILLS

Source:  County of San Diego

October 3, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) -- Voters in Dehesa, Harbison Canyon and Granite Hills will soon see a supplemental set of election materials in addition to their regular mail ballot from the Registrar of Voters office. The Registrar was misinformed about which voters are eligible to vote on the Crest/Dehesa/Harbison Canyon/Granite Hills Community Planning Area Crest member, planning group contest. As a result, the local contest was not included in the sample ballot and voter information pamphlets or the vote-by-mail ballots set to start arriving in mailboxes Monday.  


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VIEW INTERVIEWS WITH LA MESA COUNCIL CANDIDATES KRISTINE ALESSIO AND LAURA LOTHIAN

By Miriam Raftery

September 10, 2020 (La Mesa) – ECM held ZOOM virtual interviews with La Mesa City Councilwoman Kristine Alessio and realtor Laura Lothian, who were unable to attend our candidate forum last week. The candidates discussed the major issues facing La Mesa including the city’s response to protests, housing and homeless, downtown redevelopment, help for local businesses, racial justice and policing and more. 


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CAMPA-NAJJAR REPORTS RECORD FUNDRAISING, $1 MILLION FOR BATTLE AGAINST ISSA

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Ammar Campa-Najjar speaks at a debate in February before the primary election. Photo by Chris Stone

July 17, 2020 (San Diego) - Congressional candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar reported his best fundraising quarter to date, adding $703,000 to build a $1 million war chest for his battle with former Rep. Darrell Issa in November.


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WHO WANTS TO BE OUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN? HERE ARE THE CANDIDATES RUNNING SO FAR

By Miriam Raftery

Photos, top left to lower right:  Bill Wells, Sam Abed, Matt Rahn, Larry Wilske, Ammar Campa-Najjar, and Rep. Duncan D. Hunter

July 7, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) – With Congressman Duncan D. Hunter slated for trial starting in September on 60 federal corruption charges, one Democrat and four Republicans, all men, have established campaign committees to run for Rep. Hunter's seat in 2020. At least two other prominent names have been floated as possible contenders, with more entries possible.

Here are the contenders to date:


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'THAT LITTLE GIRL WAS ME': WATCH KAMALA HARRIS CONFRONT JOE BIDEN OVER OPPOSITION TO SCHOOL BUSING AND PRAISE FOR SEGREGATIONISTS

Harris pointed to her personal experience as a child who was "bused to school every day" and slammed Biden's "hurtful" comments on his relationship with senators who built careers on opposition to civil rights

By Jake Johnson

Reprinted from Common Dreams under a creative commons license

Photos:  Kamala Harris, file photo via Ron Logan, and Kalama Harris Facebook page

June 28, 2019 (Miami) - Sen. Kamala Harris directly confronted Joe Biden over his civil rights record during Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate, highlighting the former vice president's opposition to school busing as a senator in the 1970s and his fond recollection of the "civility" of notorious segregationists.


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WOMEN OF COLOR ROARED AT SHE THE PEOPLE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL FORUM

 

8 Presidential contenders shared their views

 
By Angela de Joseph
 
May 2, 2019 (Lemon Grove) -- Indivisible Watu, a political advocacy nonprofit organization based in Lemon Grove, CA., was founded in February 2017. We produce the Women of Color Roar Breakfast.  The well-attended event is held in Black History Month to celebrate the election victories and milestones of African American female office holders and to encourage young women of color to run for office and seek careers in public service. 
 
It was a welcome surprise to be invited to, “She the People,” the first-ever Presidential primary candidate forum focused on issues important to women of color, which was held on April 24, 2019 at Texas Southern University (TSU) in Houston, Texas. 
 

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