With the Nov. 2 election a week away, Santa Clara County
residents are signing up to vote as never before.
With the Nov. 2 election a week away, Santa Clara County residents are signing up to vote as never before.
“This is the biggest number registered that I’ve ever seen,” said Elma Rosas, spokeswoman for the Registrar of Voters office. “It’s incredible; even people who’ve been here longer than I say it’s the biggest.“
With both major political parties determined to get as many people to the polls as possible, filled out registration cards have been pouring into the Registrar’s office for weeks. Interest is highest on the presidential race but voters in Morgan Hill are also concerned about their choices for U.S. Senator, the 11th Congressional district, the 15th state Senate district, the 27th Assembly district, school board, mayor and city council.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 20, two days after the deadline for registration, Rosas said there were 854,218 people registered to vote, including 19,025 voters in Morgan Hill. This is 3,668 more than in registered for the 2000 election.
But many names on forms postmarked Oct. 18, the deadline, are still waiting to be added to the voter lists.
The party breakdown in Morgan Hill, as of Oct. 20, shows 7,487 Democrats – a gain of 963 or 12 percent over 2002, 7,161 Republicans – a gain of 1,027 or 14.5 percent over 2002, 453 American Independents, 119 Greens, 112 Libertarians, 17 Natural Law, 47 Peace and Freedom, 3,576 Decline to State and 53 miscellaneous.
The latest 2004 figures for Morgan Hill show a 19.3 percent increase.
Rosas said she told the Secretary of State‘s office in Sacramento that 31,595 people were registered in the Morgan Hill School District, which stretches from Bernal Road in San Jose to San Martin. They will vote for three members of the school board, choosing from a slate of six.
In 2002, the numbers showed 6,524 of Morgan Hill’s registered voters are Democrats, compared with 6,134 who are Republican. In 2001, registered Democrats numbered 7,062 and Republicans 6,516.
In 2000, according to the Registrar, there were 15,357 registered voters in Morgan Hill – 6,310 Democrats, 6,039 Republicans, 2,363 independents, or voters who declined to state party affiliation, and 645 voters from other minor parties.
Rosas said the Registrar expects a high voter turnout in the presidential election.
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is 5pm, today, Oct. 26. Requests must be received at the Registrar’s office by then; postmarks are not accepted.
Absentee ballots can also be picked up in person from at the Registrar’s office 1555 Berger Dr., Building 2, Oct. 30-31, 9am-3pm. All absentee ballots must be received, not postmarked, at the office or at any Santa Clara County polling place by 8pm on Nov. 2.
The Registrar urges voters to check ballots carefully to be sure they have followed instructions and signed the return envelope.
More information can be found at www.sccvote.org or toll free, 866-430-8683 for English, 408-282-3080 for Spanish, 282-3086 for Chinese or 535-3916 for Tagalog.
E-mail the Registrar: re*******@********ov.org/ Other voting information: Secretary of State, www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections.htm/ Information on candidates can be found at www.smartvoter.org
MHAT, Morgan Hill’s local cable Channel 19 will rebroadcast candidate forums sponsored by The Morgan Hill Times and the American Association of University Women: school board candidates’ forum Wednesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday Oct. 28, 7-9pm and the mayoral and council candidates’ forum Friday, Oct. 29, 7-9pm.
See the weekly MHAT schedule on page B4 for other candidate forums and debates.
