Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections

November 14, 2007

Contact:
Warren Slocum
Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: (650) 363-4988 Fax: (650) 363-1903 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org

Alternate:
David Tom
Phone: (650) 312.5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Nov. 16 Last Day To File Primary Arguments For Or Against Local Ballot Measures

Ten-day Public Review Period of Arguments Opens After 5 p.m. on Nov. 16

Redwood City, CA – Before the Official Canvass of the November 2007 Election is complete, elections officials in San Mateo County were hard at work preparing for the upcoming Presidential Primary Election set for February 5, 2008. “The next election has already begun—there’s a short 90-day window between the last election and the next one,” said Warren Slocum, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer.

The first major deadline for the February 5, 2008 election is the submission of Primary Arguments For and Against Ballot Measures. Arguments must be filed with the County Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo by 5 p.m. on November 16. Slocum explained that arguments cannot exceed 300-words in length and may be filed by sponsoring board members or elected officials, community associations or individual voters who are eligible to vote on the measure. He noted that anyone may sign an argument – signers do not have to be filers – but no more than five signatures shall appear with any argument.

If more than one argument for or against any county district or school measure is submitted, the California Elections Code sets the priority for determining which one will be chosen to appear in the Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet.

After the filing of arguments closes, the public review period of 10 calendar days begins. This review period will end on Nov. 26 at 5 p.m.

During the 10-day public review period, any voter of the jurisdiction in which the election is being held, or San Mateo County’s chief elections officer, may seek a writ of mandate or an injunction requiring any or all of the materials to be amended or deleted. However, that kind of request must be made within the review period.

There will be five local measures on the Feb. 5 ballot:

• Half Moon Bay is seeking an increase in their tra nsitoccupancy tax;
• Ravenswood City School District is seeking a five-year extension of their annual parcel tax;
• The San Mateo-Foster City School District is seeking voter authorization to issue bonds to cover the costs of facility modernization and safety improvements;
• Sequoia Union High School District The San Mateo-Foster City School District is seeking voter authorization to issue bonds to cover the costs of facility modernization and safety improvements; and
• San Mateo County Service Area #1 is seeking a four-year continuance of a special parcel tax for fire protection and extended police services.

No local or state candidates will appear on the Feb. 5 ballot. For more information on this or other election matters go to www.shapethefuture.org or call (650) 312-5222.

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