Election

Turning the Tide of Turnout

The county projects a pathetically low turnout for tomorrow’s gubernatorial primary election—despite one unique effort. But based on the numbers I’m looking at, it’s going to be even worse in Santa Clara County than our Registrar of Voters (ROV) predicts, particularly here in San Jose. Over the past three gubernatorial primaries, the county has experienced steadily increasing voter turnout, rising from 34 percent in 2002 to 37 percent in 2006—the last open race for San Jose mayor.

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Weed for Votes Legal?

With the primary election just four days away, a unique rock-the-vote effort is taking place in San Jose. Silicon Valley Cannabis Coalition (SVCC) announced Friday that certain medical marijuana collectives in town will offer free and reduced-priced pot for proof of voting. So, quick question: Is this legal?

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Predictions for the San Jose Mayor’s Race

The so-far civil race for mayor of San Jose will come to an abrupt end on June 3. Things are different in a two-person standoff. When the electorate has to choose between two candidates, the calculus changes and attack ads begin to appear. So who will make the runoff? Here are some predictions.

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Causes That Go Beyond Crime

Public safety has been the number one issue on everyone’s mind during this critical election year. That myopic obsession has effectively forced other important issues off the radar. Luckily, we have a series of opportunities in the week ahead to shift the focus.

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Questions for Our Next Mayor

I believe that of all the aspects of city government people encounter most frequently in their daily lives, parks top the list. So what do they think about the importance of our parks and trails?

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The Importance of the Secretary of State and a Stolen Election

Dan Schnur, an independent candidate for California’s secretary of state position, served as a political consultant to John McCain, back when the Arizona senator was still a maverick running against George W. Bush. We have had tremendous disagreements on some policy issues, but we have similar views when it comes to integrity in government, the honesty of elections, the enhancement of voting rights and the education of voters.

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