As the early voting avalanche keeps roaring, Newsmakers salutes those old-school citizens who are still mulling their public duty decisions and may even, God forbid, wait until Election Day to cast their ballots.
Across the nation (57 million ballots cast so far - 42 percent of total 2016 turnout); throughout California (6.5 million ballots - 46 percent of those cast for president four years ago); and in Santa Barbara County (92,903 mail ballots returned through Saturday -- equaling 53 percent of 2016 turnout with 10 days to go), voters heed the earnest calls of editorial writers - not to mention the desperate pleas of campaign operatives -- to hurry up and make their voices heard already.
Yet we know there remains a cohort of voters (we name no names) who prefer to contemplate more deeply certain perplexing questions presented by the state ballot (why, one muses, are so many politicians officially neutral on Prop. 24?); or ponder strategic voting maneuvers (better to check three names for school board or cast a bullet vote for your favorite?); or just simply don't like being rushed.
Chillax. And get off my lawn!
On behalf of that deliberate, intentional and, apparently, now unfashionable crowd, we offer the "Newsmakers Index of Top 40 Election Posts." It's a curated, annotated guide to the best of some 80 stories we've published via text and video on our site since July 26 -- 100 days before the Nov. 3 election -- focused on four key campaigns.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education race.
State ballot propositions, especially Proposition 15, the most impactful of the 12.
The 24th Congressional District contest.
The existential choice presented by Donald Trump's bid for re-election.
Along the way, we've enlisted an all-star cast of local, state and national journalists and political professionals, to bring their experience, insights and behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt to our readers and viewers.
Nick Welsh, Delaney Smith and Josh Molina, who cover the local political beat, weigh in regularly, and we also hear and learn from nationally respected journalists like Mark Barabak of the LA Times, Politico's Carla Marinucci and the esteemed Lou Cannon, biographer of Ronald Reagan, not to mention veteran political strategist Bill Carrick and longtime analyst Phil Trounstine, our partner in the California politics website Calbuzz.
Working to earn your trust as the go-to site for politics in Santa Barbara, Newsmakers provides fresh, original and quality content about campaigns and governance, and the people and ideas that shape them, from the school district and Sacramento to the White House, via words, video and podcast. We hope you find it useful, and thanks for subscribing.
SB SCHOOL BOARD
Our archive of one-on-one interviews with the seven candidates.
Virginia Alvarez makes the case for her experience and expertise.
Brian Campbell deplores the achievement and programs like Just Communities.
Laura Capps explains her rationale for seeking a second term.
Monie de Wit raises deep concerns about the district's approach to literacy.
Elrawd Maclearn explains his concerns that parents voices are not being heard,
Incumbent Jackie Reid offers her perspective on tough choices made by the board.
Incumbent Wendy Sims-Moten provides her take on the importance of equity.
Coverage of campaign forums.
Impact Education, the controversial political action committee backing conservatives.
Spot coverage.
STATE BALLOT MEASURES
THE 24th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Our "Tuesdays left..." state-of-play analyses
11 Tuesdays to go - Previewing the Democratic convention with Bill Carrick.
10 Tuesdays to go - Talking Republican convention with Lou Cannon.
8 Tuesdays to go - How popular vote winners lose the presidency.
6 Tuesdays to go - How death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg impacts the race.
4 Tuesdays to go - Why this vice-presidential debate is different.
3 Tuesdays to go - How true, or off base, are the polls with Biden ahead?
Debate and convention coverage
Don't forget to vote.
JR