The document provides information about the 2018 midterm elections including: - Key races for federal and state offices such as the House, Senate, and governorships across the country. - Details on ballot initiatives in California related to issues like criminal justice, marijuana legalization, abortion, minimum wage, and more. - Information for voters such as registration deadlines, early voting locations and times, how to vote by mail, what to bring to polling places, and resources for finding your ballot and polling place. - Overviews of major candidates in California races and summaries of 12 state propositions covering issues like housing, healthcare, transportation funding, rent control, and animal welfare.

1. 1
2018 Midterms Primer
A primer on the upcoming elections, the voting process,and California ballot initiatives.
Greg Gutiérrez
Research Analyst,Propper Daley
Agenda
1. The 2018 Landscape
2. Voting Info
3. Candidates
4. Props
5. Resources
1. The 2018 Landscape
What’s going on around the country?
House of Representatives
● Every House seat is up for grabs. Republicans currently hold 235 seats,while Democrats hold 193 seats. 218
seats are needed for a majority. Current projections have Democrats picking up 26 seats,which would hand them
control of the House for the first time since 2010.
● In L.A. County, only one Congressional district is considered competitive: CA-25, which stretches from the
Santa Clarita Valley into the high-desert cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. It is currently Republican-held, but
rated as a toss-up.
Senate
● About a third of all Senate seats are in play. Republicans hold 51 seats,while Democrats hold 47 (plus the
support of 2 Independent Senators). Currently, 6 of these races are considered toss-ups. Republicans are projected
to pick up a seat and maintain the slim majority they gained in 2014, but keep an eye on on these races on
Tuesday night.
Governorships
● There are many highly-contested races for Governor across the country, including in Florida, Georgia, Nevada,
and Ohio. The candidates in these races are allpolling within 3 points of each other.
Ballot Initiatives
● Criminal Justice

2. 2
○ Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington — will have a diverse set of big ballot
initiatives related to the criminal justice system.
○ Florida’s Amendment 4 would automatically restore people’s voting rights after they finish their
sentences. Colorado’s Amendment A would prohibit the state government from forcing people convicted
of a crime into labor or work. Louisiana Amendment 2 would eliminate the practice of non-unanimous
jury verdicts in felony trials - a Jim Crow-era law created to constrain the power of black jurors.
● Marijuana Legalization
○ Michigan, North Dakota, Utah, and Missouri will all vote to legalize marijuana either for recreational or
medical use.
● Abortion
○ Alabama and West Virginia ballot measures would amend their state constitutions to say that abortion
rights are not protected.
● Minimum Wage
○ Arkansas and Missouri will vote on whether or not to increase the state minimum wage.
Facts & Figures
The 2018 Midterms are the most expensive in U.S. History
● Spending on campaigns is expected to surpass $5.2 billion by November 6, fueled in large part by Democratic
spending. Democratic House candidates have raised more than $951 million, far exceeding the $637 million that
went to their Republican rivals.
Minority counties have been hit hard by poll closures
● The number of voting sites have been gradually shrinking since 2012, especially in majority-minority urban
counties, where voters lost an average of seven polling places and more than 200 of the workers who help them
cast ballots between 2012 and 2016.
● Here in Los Angeles County, 88 polling sites have closed since 2012, which may hurt low-income communities
the most.
2018 is a record-breaking year for early voting
● The 2018 elections could see the highest turnout for a midterm since the mid-1960s. As of October 31, almost a
week before Election Day, voters in at least 17 states surpassed overall early and absentee voting numbers from
2014.
● The numbers are so high in some states that early voting may exceed total vote counts — including Election
Day tallies — from four years ago.
2. Voting Info
Registering to Vote Requesting Absentee Ballot (Deadline Passed)
● To register to vote, the deadline was 10/22. By law, the deadline is 15 calendar days before Election Day.
● For absentee ballots, the deadline was 10/30.

3. 3
Voting Early (in-person)
● You can vote early or drop off your absentee ballot from now until election day at any one of the 10 early voting
centers in L.A. County. Weekend hours are 8am-4pm.
● The nearest early voting location to PD is West Los Angeles College, 9000 Overland Ave., Culver City, CA
90230 - Fine Arts Room 103.
● There are many early ballot drop-off locations. You can find the here.
Submitting Absentee Ballot
● Vote-by-mail ballots that are mailed must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by your county
elections office no later than 3 days after Election Day.
Voting on Election Day
● Polls are open from 7am to 8pm. As long as you are in line by 8pm, you will be able to vote. Find your polling
place here.
Voter ID
● In most cases, you do NOT have to bring an ID to vote.
● You may be asked to show one only if you you are voting for the first time and did not provide your driver’s
license number, CA ID number, or social security number on your application. Other acceptable forms of
identification include your passport, driver license, official state identification card,or student identification card
showing your name and photograph. You can even show a recent utility bill.
What can you bring inside the voting booth?
● You CAN bring explanatory materials into the voting booth,such as a voter guide, or a piece of paper with a
list of candidates and props you are supporting. Don’t feel like you have to remember every single thing you’re
voting for.
● You CAN take a “ballot selfie” from the voting booth. There is no law stating you cannot bring a phone into
the booth. However,a poll worker is entitled to ask you to put it away if you are distracting other voters.
3. Candidates
Governor
● Gavin Newsom (D) vs John Cox (R). Lt. Gov. Newsom is up by about 16 points, according to polling.
Businessman John Cox faces an uphill battle here.
U.S. Senate
● Dianne Feinstein (D) vs. Kevin De León (D). Thanks to our “jungle primary” system, we have two Democrats
squaring off - Incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein vs. Kevin De León. Feinstein was elected in 1992, and has
climbed up the ranks to be the top Democrat in the Judiciary Committee, while De León is the top State Senator
in California and is seen as a rising star–it was De León who received the CA Democratic Party endorsement.
Feinstein has a double-digit lead in the polls, but this one will be closer than that.
U.S. House of Representatives

4. 4
● You can find your Representative here.
State Legislature
● You can find your state Assembly Member and Senator here
Other Races
● Californians will vote for a number of elected offices, including judicial offices (State Court of Appeals, State
Supreme Court), Treasurer (lead asset manager,banker and financier), Controller (top auditor), Secretary of State
(oversees elections).
4. Propositions and Local Ballot Measures1
Prop 1 - Bond to fund affordable housing. $4 billion bond to finance existing housing programs. $2 billion would be
dedicated specifically to giving local governments low-interest loans to build or renovating affordable, multi-family
apartment buildings, and another $1 billion would go specifically to programs that provide home loan assistance for
military veterans. The rest of the money would be put into existing housing programs already in effect across the state.
Prop 2 - To fund supportive housing for homeless people. Would free up $2 billion in bonds to pay to build housing
that includes mental health services for chronically homeless people. The funds originally came from money to create and
expand mental healthcare services,which voters in 2016 authorized to divert in part to build housing for homeless
individuals with illnesses in 2016. A lawsuit hit the pause button on that, saying the money was supposed to go only to
treatment, not construction.
Prop 3 - Bond to fund water infrastructure. Would authorize $8.87 billion in state bonds for safe drinking-water
projects and watershed and fishery/habitat protection improvements. Prop 3 would build on the $4.1 billion funds voters
approved in June 2018 as part of Prop 68. The Sierra Club, which backed Prop 68, strongly opposes Prop 3 because it
calls it a hand-out to the ag industry. Proponents say that Prop 68 favored urban and coastalconcerns over the desires of
inland and farm communities, and that Prop 3 will address the imbalance.
Prop 4 - Bond to fund children’s hospital improvements. Authorizes $1.5 billion of bonds to build, expand, renovate
and equip qualifying children’s hospitals, the majority going to nonprofit hospitals that offer healthcare to kids covered by
qualifying government programs, like the California Children’s Services program. Money would also go toward general
hospitals with dedicated children’s treatment facilities and five University of California centers focusing on pediatric care.
Prop 5 - To expand Prop 13’s property tax breaks for homeowners. Prop 13 was passed in 1978 to cap property tax
rates. Supporters say it will help homebuyers who are disabled or over 55 transfer their property tax adjustments from
their previous home. Opponents say it provides special tax benefits to some property owners, while failing to help low-
income seniors and causing a loss of funding for schools and local services. The theory goes, that lessens the incentive for
empty-nesters to hang on to the big houses where they raised families, thus putting more houses on the market, and
maybe, possibly, doing something to cool home prices. Critics say similar tax breaks already exist and any additional
reductions in property tax revenue is an unfair burden to local governments that depend on that money to provide services.
1
Sources:California Secretary ofState,accessed11/1/18; California Public Radio, 6/29/18; Los Angeles Magazine, 10/19/18; 10/31/18

5. 5
Prop 6 - Would repeal the gas tax which funds transportation infrastructure. A “yes” vote on this repeal measure
would save individuals 12 cents per gallon on standard gasoline–by cutting around $5 billion a year in funding for transit
infrastructure. The Prop would also ensure that future tax hikes must be submitted to voters in a referendum.
Prop 7 - Enable change in daylight savings time. It’s advertised as making Daylight Savings Time permanent, but it
would actually repeal a 1949 law that established DST. By repealing that law, state legislators would be able to then
decide how the state time should be set.
Prop 8 - Would limit dialysis clinics’ profits and require refunds. Would put a cap how much outpatient kidney
dialysis clinics may charge patients, and would impose penalties for excessive bills. Backers believe it would incentivize
clinics to invest in facility improvements and worker training. Labor and patient advocacy groups support Prop 8, while
medical associations oppose, arguing that it jeopardizes access to care and quality of service for 66,000 patients in
California who need frequent dialysis treatments. State and Local Governments could save millions per year in reduced
patient care costs. CA could face a higher cost of ensuring compliance with the law.
Prop 10 - Enable cities to strengthen rent control, by repealing a law that currently prevents cities from enacting rent
control regulations on all single-family homes and condos, as well as any apartments built after 1995 Proponents argue
that city governments should be free to make their own rules about local rent control. Opponents worry that landlords and
developers will be disinclined to build new rental units if they think they’re going to be stuck with tenants paying well
below market rates. .Supporters include: Coalition for Affordable Housing , AIDS Healthcare Foundation, & Alliance of
Californians for Community Empowerment, California Nurses Association, California Teachers Association, SEIU
California, California Democratic Party,Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Opponents include both Candidates for
Governor: Lt. Gov Gavin Newsom (D) & John Cox (R), California Apartment Association & California Rental Housing
Association (Landlord Groups), California State Conference of the NAACP.
Prop 11 - Requires paramedics stay on call during breaks. If passed,employees of for-profit private ambulance
companies (like American Medical Response) would be required to stay on-call via mobile devices during their meal and
rest breaks; if the break is interrupted by a call, that one wouldn’t be deducted from the total number of breaks an
employee is required to be given per shift. In exchange, the companies have to provide mental health services to workers
and provide specialized training for the job. Prop 11 is backed and funded by American Medical Response (AMR),
California’s largest private ambulance company. Opponents call this an industry effort to save money on staffing — and
get out of potentially bank-breaking lawsuits.
Prop 12 - Increases requirements for farm animal confinement. Bans the sale of meat derived from animals and that
are kept in areas below a specified number of square feet. Would also require require that all eggs sold in California be
from hens raised according to the United Egg Producers’ 2017 cage free guidelines. Animal rights groups are split on this
(Humane Society supports, PETA opposes). Supporters back the initiative because it will mandate cage-free housing for
hens. Opponents say the new requirements for egg factory cages are not an improvement over existing ones, because they
merely outlaw enclosures of under 1 square foot per hen.
Measure W (Los Angeles County) - L.A. County tax to fund stormwater capture. The tax,designed to raise money for
the county flood district, would be imposed on homeowners, amounting to about $83 a year. The measure aims to clean
up our beaches and our sources of drinking water.

6. 6
Measure B (Los Angeles County) - Would enable city ofL.A. to establish a municipal bank. This amendment won’t
immediately create a bank, but allow for an amendment to the city charter to create one. This bank would take in all the
money the city raises for itself–sales taxes,parking meters,city fees–and hold onto it, saving the city an estimated $170
million in fees and $1.1 billion in interest currently being paid to private banks. It would also potentially offering certain
types of low-interest consumer loans. Critics of the measure say there’s no precedent for a public bank quite like this, and
that the city should prioritize negotiating better deals with existing financial institutions.
Measure E (Los Angeles County) - Would align L.A. city & state election dates. Adjusts primary elections in the city of
Los Angeles to match the March statewide primary date.
Measure EE (Los Angeles County) - Would align LAUSD & state election dates.Aligns elections for Los Angeles
Unified School District primary elections to the March date.
5. Resources
● Request YOUR sample ballot here.
○ For reference you can viewGreg G.’s sample ballot here (Refer to this only for statewide measures and
elections, such as Props,Governor, U.S. Senate.Local elections may be different than yours).
● Find your polling place here
● Visit Vote.org for a one-stop shop on voting, including how to check your registration, get election reminders,
vote early, and find your polling place.
● Voter Hotline phone number is (800) 345- VOTE (8683)
● L.A. County Elections Office - https://lavote.net/
● California Secretary of State - https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/
YOU CAN DO THIS. GO VOTE!