In Depth: Vote by mail, Prop. 15 and 22

LOS ANGELES - Segment One:
 
Hal speaks to Orange County Registrar Neal Kelley and Riverside Registrar Rebecca Spencer about some of the hiccups that have occurred with the ballots that have been mailed out. Spencer says duplicate ballots are not unusual if a person has multiple places they are registered, for example the DMV.  He says it is not an issue because if a ballot copy comes in, the second one is automatically voided.

Spencer says that there are hundreds of different types of ballots for all of the races in each county, which makes it complicated. Printing vendors are hired to create those ballots, but they, of course, are fallible as well, and mistakes do happen.

Hal discusses the safety of ballot drop-boxes in riverside and Orange County because they have very different styles. Riverside County has plastic boxes with two staff members at their 80 locations to help voters make sure their ballots are signed correctly.

Kelley says they have spent years developing their system, and with the secured heavy metal drop boxes they can offer 24 hour access, and that the boxes are “tanks” and very secure and in fact more secure than the mailboxes people have been using for decades.
 
Segment Two:
 
Hal talks to both sides of Prop. 15, the ballot measure intended to create a split roll property tax system. John Kim, the executive director of Project California is in favor and Tracy Hernandez, the CEO of LA County Bizfed is against it.
Kim says that the flaw in the original proposition 13 which fixed property tax assessments back in 1978 was that it exempted large corporations, who are now being taxed at the same rate as residential properties.

Prop. 15 would allow businesses and corporations whose properties are worth more than three million dollars to be assessed at a higher rate, so that the money raised could be used to benefit public schools, colleges, healthcare and other community needs.

Hernandez says the voters had a chance to vote on a split roll system in the 70’s and rejected it in favor of Prop. 13. Hernandez says that this is only the first step toward raising residential property taxes. Kim refutes that and says there is no desire or effort to affect residences or small businesses now or in the future.
 
Segment Three:
 
Hal talks to both sides of Prop. 22, the measure intended to change “gig work” rules for those who work independently on such businesses as rideshare companies.

David Cruz is the communications director for Lulac, and he says that Prop. 22 will allow as many people as possible to continue working with improved benefits. It also allows flexibility for app based drivers.

Ray Fuentes with partnerships for working families opposes Prop. 22 because he says the substance of the proposition codifies the exploitation of workers. He says it doesn’t offer a fixed minimum wage, it doesn’t offer access to unemployment insurance or disability, overtime, workers comp or other benefits. He says it takes away from workers, it doesn’t give to them. Cruz says that they don’t worry about the minimum wage, they are focused on making the maximum for workers.  He says there is insurance and benefits to protect workers through the companies. Cruz says he wants to make sure the jobs are still there after the pandemic is over.
 
Segment Four:
 
We close with a music video of politicians dancing through the years.