Vote By Mail Ballots Arriving With Misleading Mailings
San Andreas, CA – Along with mail-in ballots now arriving in mailboxes, local elections officials are warning of false “Election Ballot Correction” leaflets.
Calaveras County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Rebecca Turner explains that a political campaign is unleashing a barrage of misleading mailings and robocalls throughout the state.
“[The campaign] states there is an error in the title of Proposition 6 in the voting materials mailed by the county registrar of voters — this is an incorrect statement,” she stresses. “The California Attorney General prepares the Title and Summary for state propositions, and the local registrar of voters does not make any alterations to them.”
The fake mailing directs voters to place the document with your already mailed sample ballot. It further states that “The correct title for Proposition 6 should read: Proposition 6: Gas Tax Repeal Initiative.” However, the boxed, fine print “Notice to Voters” statement below it reads: “This is not an official ballot or an official county voter information guide prepared by the county elections official or Secretary of State. This is an unofficial, marked ballot prepared by Reform California – YES on 6.”
A Tale Of Two Titles
While the false title that Reform California is plain wrong and misleading by intent, the actual Prop 6 title crafted by the Attorney General’s Office is admittedly vague and somewhat confusing. It begins with the phrase: “Eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding…”
The bottom line is that voters need to be aware that the passing of Prop 6 would not end the gas tax. No state initiative can do that by itself since the current total tax of about 77 cents per gallon includes 18.4 cents in federal taxes state officials cannot control. If approved by voters, Prop 6 would simply eliminate the 12 cents per gallon increase that the legislature narrowly voted to impose last year.
The official and correct Title and Summary for statewide Proposition 6 — as prepared by the Attorney General’s office is viewable in your state voter information guide. As Turner puts it, “There was no error in the Title and Summary; therefore no corrections have been issued by state or local elections officials.”
You can view the official statewide voter information guide by clicking here.
Turner adds that voters should receive their mail-in ballots by midweek. If you do not receive your vote-by-mail ballot by Friday, contact the County Elections office to have a ballot reissued to you. Voters must return their ballots to the Elections Office or a polling place by Election Day, Nov. 6. The office is also accepting ballots postmarked by that date through Nov. 9.
