Ballot Measures Too Confusing? Throw a Proposition Party

This time when the polls close on November 4, instead of feeling like someone took advantage of me, I am going to feel like I might have made a real difference.
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I just got my sample ballot for November's general election and boy am I confused. I live in Los Angeles, California, and in addition to races for President, Vice President, United States Representative, State Senator and Member of the State Assembly, we have five run-off races for Judges of the Superior Court, twelve State propositions and five local bond measures. The propositions are worded so that you need your own personal linguist to parse them - does voting "no" on Proposition 8 mean that you are for or against gay marriage? Does a "yes" vote on 4 mean you are for or against parental notification requirements for teens to get an abortion? And then are the really confusing propositions, the ones that could change the way our political districts are drawn or the way criminals are sentenced, or could force the state to allocate its dwindling resources to someone's pet project. With the state economy in crisis and the national economy in freefall, I want to know whether the estimates of the financial cost of these measures are likely to be accurate and, if so, whether the changes sought are worth the money. It feels irresponsible to just rely on the recommendation of my local newspaper or my state or local democratic or republican party or the Sierra Club/League of Women Voters/Hair Club for Men, and what if they disagree? Judges make a huge difference in our lives, but the average person has never heard of the candidates, and how much credence should we give the qualification assessment of the state bar association anyway? What do we do when both of the would-be judges in a race are rated "well-qualified" or both have been deemed "not qualified"? Being an informed voter means, at the very least, researching recommendations and endorsements from more than one source and reading both the pro and con arguments to decide how credible they are and to examine the merits of the underlying improvement or change being sought. It's a lot of work, which most voters don't bother to do. But what if you only had to research one or two of the races or the measures on your ballot? Suddenly the task seems feasible. So this year, I am hosting a proposition party. Here's how it works:

You invite six to a dozen or more people you know - however many your house, yard or local gathering place can accommodate. Each attendee is assigned, or signs up for, a state or local proposition or judicial race and reviews the arguments for and against from as many different sources as possible. Everyone comes prepared to summarize the proposed measures, to give their best estimate of the costs, to present the arguments for and against that measure, and to answer questions. They also come with food and drink and you provide the music and games if you want them. Hey, it's a party -- just because it accomplishes something serious doesn't mean it can't be fun. Combine it with watching a presidential debate, a political movie, or rebroadcasts of Tina Fey's Sarah Palin impressions -- anything that gets people talking about the election, particularly the poorly understood issues. The idea is to split up the hard work breaking down what each measure is really likely to accomplish and who is providing funding to get it on the ballot so that you can make an informed choice about whether or not to vote for it. Instead of a week of hard work, you split it up amongst a group of people you trust, and you discuss it amongst yourselves. You have a good time and you walk away with an understanding of the issues, either knowing how you want to vote, or with a pretty good idea of what additional information you need. You have a good time and come out knowing more than when you came to the party.

This has been my year to get involved. I am tired of the dumbing-down of American politics and the trend of voting without thinking. Not to diminish the value of the heart, but our political body needs a head, too. That's why I've called upon my like-minded friends and neighbors, the people I talk to at the gym, my book group, my co-workers -- anyone who's sick of that feeling of voting without knowing exactly what it means. This time when the polls close on November 4, instead of feeling like someone took advantage of me, I am going to feel like I might have made a real difference. Because this election isn't just about the White House. It's about my house, too.

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