<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Dear Friends of Darien's Ballot Guide,<div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I believe nearly all of you know that my Guide does not talk about specific candidates. Usually, I address <i class="">only </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">the state-wide ballot propositions. However, I do seek to offer reliable lay information about the elections, and there is clearly a need for clear info in this recall election. So I offer this email.</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class=""><b class="">Recall Elections History, Briefly!</b></span></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>According to Ballotpedia (<a href="https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_gubernatorial_recall_provisions" class="">https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_gubernatorial_recall_provisions</a>), only three sitting governors have faced recall elections since 1921, and two of those were in California! Moreover, in California, although we’ve had 179 recall <i class="">attempts — </i>of <i class="">any </i>state elected officials — since 1913, only <i class="">eleven</i> of them got enough signatures to qualify (per <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/recalls/recall-history-california-1913-present" class="">https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/recalls/recall-history-california-1913-present</a> — please note that the SOS there is not <i class="">intended</i><span style="font-style: normal;" class=""> to refer to the state of California politics, but, rather </span>Secretary of State). With the unlimited involvement of Big Money in elections, we’ve seen <i class="">two </i>gubernatorial recall efforts getting on to the California ballot since 2000. (And Governor Grey Davis was recalled in 2003.)</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">Recalls in California</b></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>California has a particularly undemocratic recall procedure, as many of you may have heard. If a simple majority vote (50% + 1) votes to recall the official, that’s <i class="">it </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">for that official They are </span><i class="">not </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">allowed to be a candidate in the </span><i class="">second part </i>of the recall ballot. That’s where the undemocratic part comes in. <i class="">If </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">the recall gets a majority, then the choice of a </span><i class="">plurality </i>of the voters, on that second part of the ballot, will choose the person to replace the governor. It’s pretty easy to get onto that second part of the ballot. In this recall we have nearly 50 candidates. </div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>With so many candidates, it can be very easy to get a plurality. Of course, some of the candidates in the second part of the ballot are much better publicized and/or known, so it’s likely that the winner (if the majority vote for the recall) would need some 20% of the vote.</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Become governor of California with 20% support from the voters? I can only wonder why the Democrats, who’ve had legislative control for a while, did not legislate for a more reasonable system after 2003. </div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Because of the two-part process, in every recall, the first part — the vote for or against the recall — becomes especially important. If the recall is defeated, the votes for candidates won’t matter. If the recall gets a majority vote, the <i class="">one </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">candidate with a plurality will become governor.</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><b class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">Voting in </span><i class="">This </i>Gubernatorial Election</b></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: normal; white-space: pre;"> </span>As in every election, <b style="font-style: normal;" class="">I urge you to vote. Preferably, vote </b><b class=""><i class="">before </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">the deadline of September 14</span></b><b style="font-style: normal;" class="">! </b>That’s especially easy in this election, since all voting is by mail (or, for greater security, you can drop your ballot off at the multiple ballot drop box locations). Also, you can vote in person and, if you’re not currently registered to vote, there are options for same-day registration. See details at <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2021-ca-gov-recall" class="">https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2021-ca-gov-recall</a>.</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b class="">If you wish to see the governor replaced <i class="">now</i></b> — then it will be important for you to vote <i class="">yes </i>on the recall <i class="">and </i><b class="">for </b>one of the candidates. There are several strong campaigns for certain Republican candidates and at least one Libertarian, so it’s likely one of those will be governor is the recall succeeds. If you’re <i class="">yes </i>on the recall, then you probably want to pick a candidate’s campaign to support.</div><div class=""><span style="font-style: normal;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span><b class="">If you do </b></span><b class=""><i class="">not </i>wish to see the governor replaced before the end of his term </b><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">(in somewhat over a year)</span> — then it will be important for you to vote <i class="">no </i>on the recall. If you’re voting <i class="">no, </i>it becomes far less important which candidate you choose from the nearly 50. I an not aware of any significant campaigns for a Democratic or “progressive” candidate, so it’s extremely unlikely any candidate to the “left” of Newsom will get a plurality of votes. So if you’re <i class="">no </i>on the recall, then you probably want to campaign for more <i class="">no </i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">votes, rather than focus on a candidate. </span></div><div class=""><i class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>However, </i>I don’t mean to discourage anyone from supporting any candidate they choose! I’m just trying to describe what votes will be most significant, given the likely way this election will work.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">Further Information</b></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>I hope this explanation is helpful to you. We won’t likely have any state-wide ballot measures before the 2022 primaries — at the earliest! (So you won’t hear from me again until sometime in 2022 — <i class="">if </i>we have state-wide ballot measures )</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>If you want further info on this recall election, you can go to the SOS site, specifically <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2021-ca-gov-recall" class="">https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/2021-ca-gov-recall</a>.</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The informative web page for users of <i class="">this, </i>my, mailing list is <a href="http://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/dariens_ballot_guide" class="">http://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/dariens_ballot_guide</a>. I welcome new folks to subscribe to my Guide to the California Ballot Propositions, especially now that the process is streamlined through the Mailman system. So please feel free to give interested folks that link, which is where on can subscribe. (You can also <i class="">un</i><span style="font-style: normal;" class="">subscribe there, if you wish).</span></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-style: normal; white-space: pre;"> </span>Finally, I encourage all readers to be kind to one another, especially with those who differ with you politically. All of us are facing very difficult times, and many are facing very traumatic circumstances. We can ease the harshness of these days by listening and being compassionate. I realize, not everyone is interested in communication and discussion, but many are. (I hope you’ll focus your energy on those who choose to be more open.)</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Regards, Darien</div><div class=""><div class="">
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text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><p class="western" align="left" style="color: rgb(14, 106, 104); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Avenir Next"; font-size: 18px; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></p><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><p style="color: rgb(14, 106, 104); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "Avenir Next"; font-size: 14px; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 18px;" class="">“...pluralism requires compromise as does coalition building. That desire is easily lost for very legitimate reasons, and when that happens, conditions worsen. If we can’t compromise in politics, the alternative is force, and that is the authoritarians creed."</p><p style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-variant-caps: normal; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 18px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(14, 106, 104); font-family: "Avenir Next"; font-size: 14px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138);" class=""> Scot Nakagawa, </span>anti-authoritarian activis</span><font color="#942092" face="Helvetica" size="2" class=""><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138);" class="">t</span></font></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 18px;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(17, 87, 2); font-family: "Bodoni 72"; font-size: 12px; -webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""> * Darien De Lu (she, her) *</span><span style="font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-font-kerning: none; color: rgb(107, 0, 108);" class=""> </span><span style="color: rgb(17, 87, 2); font-family: "Bodoni 72"; font-size: 12px; -webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><b class="">* </b><a href="mailto:conjoin@sonic.net" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; color: rgb(11, 54, 198);" class=""><b class="">conjoin@sonic.net</b></span></a><b class=""> </b>*</span></p></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></span></div></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><div style="font-family: Georgia; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(17, 87, 2);" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>* 916/739-0860, landline <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>— texts<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">don’t work!</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>*<b class=""> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia; margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(17, 87, 2);" class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 14px;" class=""><font face="Lucida Grande" size="2" style="font-family: Georgia; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146);" class="">Learn about </font><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">Women</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class="">'</span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">s</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class=""><font face="Helvetica" class=""> </font></span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">International</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">League</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">for</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class=""><b class="">Peace</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">and</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: "Lucida Grande"; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(120, 0, 138); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: rgb(148, 32, 146); font-size: 13px;" class="">Freedom: </span><a href="https://wilpfus.org/" style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;" class=""><font face="Georgia" class=""><font style="font-size: 8pt;" class="">https://wilpfus.org/</font></font></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(101, 9, 83); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal;" class=""><font color="#000000" class=""><font face="Lucida Grande" class="">.</font></font></span></p></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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