With the primary on March 5, you have one last weekend to research your candidates for office, before the general election in November.
Special elections and primaries often have the lowest turnouts. Yet, in regions like Oakland and the Bay Area that are heavily represented by one political party, these elections are the most impactful and where your vote matters most. In addition to your voice on the US Senator who will replace Senator Dianne Feinstein and represent the state, the local offices will have the greatest impact on services like public education.
In our Week in Review and in our post about the Alameda County Office of Education’s (ACOE) School Board forum held by FIA last month, we shared a primer on what the ACOE does, who the candidates are, and rounded up local content that featured candidate interviews.
Critically though, our friends at Families in Action hosted a comprehensive forum for these candidates that was pretty fire. They delved deep into the role of the ACOE, asked every candidate the hard questions from parents and students alike, and secured their commitments to charter schools, equitable mental health funding, special education and targeted supports for our disadvantaged populations.
If you missed it, check out the forum in its entirety here before you complete your ballots!
If you reside in Alameda County, you can read more about the measures up for vote, and the list of candidates at the Official Election Site of Alameda County. To vote, you have the option of mailing in your ballot (do not forget to sign and write in your address on the outside envelope!) and encourage you all to mail that ballot by Tuesday, March 5th. You can also drop off your ballot at drop boxes, listed here, or you can vote in person at these vote centers by March 5.