Initiate Justice Action

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Introduction

This voter guide was written by people directly impacted by incarceration – formerly incarcerated people and people with incarcerated loved ones – and allies with a focus on the public safety platforms of candidates for state office in California. Initiate Justice Action believes that people who have been impacted by the prison system in this state deserve the opportunity to weigh in on state elections, because we have historically been marginalized and because we are the ones who are most affected by the public safety policies proposed by elected officials.

We are at a unique time in our state’s history – with the passage of Prop 17 in 2020, this is the second statewide election cycle where all formerly incarcerated people in California can vote. However, voting can be a daunting task for those who are doing it for the first time, or who have not voted in many years. We hope that this voter guide will help system-impacted people understand their voting rights, the details of the November 5th, 2024 General Election, and help them with their research.

This guide is also intended to be helpful for justice-minded allies who want to learn more about how people impacted by incarceration in California are approaching the statewide elections. We hope that everyone who reads this will learn about voting rights in our state, and take the opportunity to reflect on why voting is so important specifically for those who are directly impacted by justice policies.

IJ Action Voter Guide

Use the tabs below to jump between sections.

IJA Endorsed Candidates

IJA Endorsed Candidates

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2024 Ballot Measures

2024 Ballot Measures

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State Senate Candidates

State Senate Candidates

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State Assembly Candidates

State Assembly Candidates

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HOW TO USE THIS VOTER GUIDE

  • General information on the November 5th, 2024 General Election.
  • A list of our endorsed state and local candidates.
  • Research and recommendations on candidates running for the State Senate, State Assembly, and key local races, which includes an analysis of the candidates’ positions and voting record on justice reform policies, if currently in office.
  • Campaign finance information indicating whether or not the candidate accepted campaign contributions from law enforcement political action committees (PACs) or associations.
  • Research and recommendations on key local and statewide ballot measures appearing on the General Election ballot.

 

This Voter Guide does not cover any federal races such as for the U.S. President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives.

  • Basic Information: We provide the candidate’s name, political party, whether or not they are the incumbent (the person currently elected to that seat), and their designation as it will appear on the ballot.

  • Law Enforcement Contributions: We reviewed every candidate’s campaign contributions to see if they have received funds from law enforcement PACs or associations, and made note of any such donations. Some things to note about our research:
    • The law enforcement donations are updated as of August 23, 2024, so it is possible that candidates will have accepted or returned donations after that date.
    • This guide is only reporting law enforcement donations for the current election cycle, so if the candidate has run for prior offices, it is possible they have received law enforcement donations that are not reported here.
    • This guide only reports contributions from law enforcement PACs and/or associations, not any that may have come from individual law enforcement personnel.
    • If the candidate has received law enforcement contributions, we will list the agencies that donated.
    • If the candidate has received campaign contributions from other people / organizations but none from law enforcement, their description will read “None as of 8/23/24”.
    • If the candidate simply has not raised any funds from any source for their campaign, their description will read “The candidate has not reported any campaign funds as of 8/23/24”

  • Legislative Scorecard Grade: We are including the grade that each current State Senator and Assemblymember earned in our 2024 Legislative Scorecard. The Scorecard looked at the voting records of each Senator and Assemblymember on key justice reform bills from the 2023-2024 legislative year. For details on the bills and voting records, check out our Legislative Scorecard.
 
  • Background: We researched background information on each candidate, such as their professional experience, whether or not they are currently an elected official, and any other information relevant to justice reform.
 
  • Public Safety Platform: We did our best to compile a summary of each candidate’s views on public safety policy and whether or not they are in support of justice reform. This is not an exhaustive list, and it should be noted that many candidates do not have public information available on their positions.
 
  • Website: We also include the official campaign website of each candidate who had one at the time of writing of our Voter Guide.
 
  • Recommendations: In each race, we are also making recommendations on candidates. Our recommendation categories are as follows:
    • Endorsed: Candidates who completed our endorsement process and our Membership voted to endorse. These are candidates who are strongly aligned with our values and have committed to co-governing with us.
    • Recommended: Candidates who may or may not have completed our endorsement process, but are considered to be the more closely aligned candidate in the race and who we believe would serve the position well.
    • Harm Reduction: Candidates who may not be closely aligned with our values, but are considered to be the better candidate in the race compared to their opponent.
    • No Recommendation: In races where we believe neither candidate is an option aligned with our values, we will make no recommendation.

GENERAL ELECTION INFORMATION

The 2024 General Election is Tuesday, November 5th. Here are some key dates to keep in mind:

  • Monday, October 7th: Vote by mail ballots mailed out.
  • Monday, October 7th – Tuesday, November 5th: Early Voting sites are open. You can vote early in person or by dropping off your vote-by-mail ballot. Find your location here.
  • Monday, October 21st: Last day to register to vote. 
  • Tuesday, October 22nd – Tuesday, November 5th: If you miss the registration deadline, you can conditionally register to vote up to and on Election Day at a polling location and vote provisionally; however, your voter registration status will need to be verified before your vote will be counted.
  • Tuesday, November 5th: Election Day. Polls will be open from 7:00am – 8:00pm. Vote by mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day.
  • Candidates:
    • Federal: U.S. President, U.S. Senate, and House of Representatives
    • State: State Senator and State Assemblymember
    • Local: City and county candidates depending on your jurisdiction
    • School Board etc?
  • Ballot Measures:
    • State ballot measures
    • Local city / county ballot measure(s)
  • To be eligible to vote in California you must be:
    • 18 years old or older, 
    • A US citizen, and
    • A resident of CA
  • If you’re impacted by incarceration, you DO have the right to vote if you:
    • Are incarcerated in a county jail, unless you have been sentenced to a state prison sentence
    • Are on county probation, federal probation, post-release community supervision (PRCS), or on parole
    • Have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony in the past
  • You DO NOT currently have the right to vote if you:
    • Are currently incarcerated in state or federal prison
    • Are currently in a Pre-Release Custody Program, such as Alternative Custody Program (ACP), Community Prison Mother Program (CPMP), Custody to Community Transitional Reentry Program (CCTRP) or Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP)
    • Have been found mentally incompetent by a court
    • Are not 18 years old or older, a US citizen, and a resident of CA

 

In summary, as long as you are not currently incarcerated in a state or federal prison, you are eligible to vote as long as you meet the other age and citizenship requirements. You can learn more about how a conviction history impacts your right to vote here.

  • You may register to vote online by visiting: https://registertovote.ca.gov/ or by completing a paper voter registration form which you can find at the post office, DMV office, and most public libraries.
  • Reminder – you must re-register to vote any time you move or change your name!

Questions? You can call the Secretary of State: (800) 345-VOTE (8683)

  • Since 2020, all voters are automatically signed up to vote by mail. That means that once you register to vote, you will receive your ballot in the mail at the address where you registered to vote. You may complete your ballot at home and seal it, sign it, and mail it in to your county registrar of voters (no postage necessary), or drop off your ballot at a secure dropbox or at your polling place. You can find early voting locations or your nearest ballot drop box here: https://caearlyvoting.sos.ca.gov/

IJ Action Endorsed Candidates

More Candidates

Ballot Measure Recommendations

More Ballot Measures

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to read the Initiate Justice Action Voter Guide! Writing this guide required many hours of planning, research, and design, and was a labor of love for the people impacted by incarceration who contributed to its creation. We sincerely hope you found this guide to be a useful resource.

Please share this guide with your friends, family, and loved ones and encourage them to vote in this General Election on or before November 5th! When we make our voices heard at the polls, we prove our power. Together, we can make a difference. We can win meaningful change in our justice system and change the narrative on public safety. 

Vote – because when we fight, we win!

Legislative Scorecard

IJ Action is proud to have worked alongside many other organizations in stopping many of these criminalization bills in their tracks. While many bad bills were defeated, major threats remain. IJ Action firmly believes that our tax dollars are better spent on alleviating poverty, trauma, mental illness, and substance use disorders, instead of criminalizing them. We will continue championing progressive policy solutions that lead us towards true public safety that better serves survivors, people impacted by incarceration, and the community as a whole.

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