With the November election fast approaching and voting being a major news topic, you may be wondering what you should know as a voter. RCLL is here to help.

RCLL is committed to free and open access to the law for the public, and that includes election and voting laws. We compiled a nonpartisan resource guide that covers voter registration, important dates, candidate names and campaign sites, funding, and helpful websites to learn more about elections and fact-checking.  This resource guide will be available on our website through the election.

Leading up to Election day on Nov. 3, we will offer programs via Zoom on the topic of voting. On Sept. 22, National Voter Registration Day, we are partnering with the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office to give the basics of registering to vote and a brief overview of the voting process.  You can register for that program here. Next, we’ll partner with the League of Women Voters to hold a program on Thurs. Oct. 1 at 4pm that will review the 12 ballot measures of the November election. You can register for that event here. On Oct. 16 at 12pm we will host a MCLE book talk for .5 MCLE credit on the book Our Time is Now by Stacey Abrams and featuring a presentation on California’s Voting Rights Act. Registration will be available soon for this event.

We hope these programs and resource guide provide useful information for you and encourage you to go out and vote by mail or in person for the Nov. 3 election. To quote Stacey Abrams “vote because we deserve leaders who see us, who hear us and who are willing to act on our demands.”[1]

When asked “what voting means to you?”, a few of our staff said:

• To me voting should be the first, and easiest, step in engaging in our democracy. Voting is one way that I can help create a future that supports and protects my community. Though restrictive voting laws have made it harder and harder for people to access their right to vote, I am hopeful that we can contribute to positive changes in our communities by voting for candidates that embody a commitment to fighting for racial and social justice, ending health inequities and reducing the impact of climate change. I encourage people to take the time to learn about how the ballot measures will impact what is important to them and to really understand the positions of the different candidates to make an informed choice.
• I’ve always viewed voting as a patriotic duty we have the right and responsibility to participate in. I think of the quote by Thomas Jefferson: “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.”
• Voting is important to me because it’s one of the most visible ways that I (and other Americans) can participate in our local, state, and national democratic processes! It’s important for me to exercise that right as a woman of color because that right wasn’t granted to Americans like me not that long ago