The Business For Good 2024 Voter Resource Guide
The 2024 presidential election feels like one of the most consequential in recent history.
Yet the things that affect voters most immediately are decision-makers in local offices and city, county, and state measures.
Local politics is also where your voice can make the biggest difference. That’s why Business For Good (BFG) focuses on policies that help everyone in our region thrive.
Regardless of your political leanings, we encourage everyone to use their voice at the ballot box this year.
Think locally, act locally
“Voting is one of the most liberating things you can do as a citizen,” says Mikey Knab, BFG co-founder and Board Chair. “No matter what others may say, your vote is how you can tell the truth about what really matters to you, whether that’s where your city tax dollars go or who runs the country. You can vote for as many or as few items as matter to you, but your vote is yours alone.”
Mikey acknowledges that participating in our democracy can be a frustrating process, one that seems full of “lesser evil” choices or confusingly worded, overwhelming ballot measures.
So, we’re here to help you think more optimistically about the polls this fall.
We hope to inspire you to get involved with our local advocacy efforts, and give you our official recommendations about certain initiatives appearing on the ballot for San Diego residents.
Here’s our 2024 Voter Resource Guide. It includes information on where and how to vote, the ballot initiatives BFG endorses, and how and why to sign up as a poll worker in San Diego (spoiler alert: you’re needed!).
San Diego voting guidelines for the 2024 election
- First things first: the 2024 election takes place on November 5, 2024. If you haven’t yet registered to vote, register right now! (Not sure if you’re already registered? Check here).
- You should be registered to vote at least 15 days before Election Day (that’s Monday, October 21). If you miss the registration deadline, however, you can register as a Conditional Voter and vote provisionally.
- This year, all registered California voters will receive their ballot in the mail. Ballots are mailed out starting this week (October 7). You can track your ballot’s journey to you every step of the way.
- If you choose to vote by mail, you can drop or mail your ballot starting on October 8. Your ballot must be postmarked by election day (November 5), or you can return it in-person to any designated secure drop-box by November 5.
- If you prefer to vote in-person, you can take advantage of early voting at the Registrar’s office or at select polling places. This will help you avoid long lines on election day.
- On election day, the polls are open from 7:00am to 8:00pm in California. Locate your designated polling place and its hours of operation or a list of secure ballot drop boxes near you, and make a plan for how you will vote. If you have any other questions or need more information, visit the Registrar of Voters.
What Business For Good endorses in 2024
BFG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which means we are a nonpartisan organization that cannot endorse or oppose any candidates for public office.
However, we can and do weigh in on ballot measures. Our recommendations for how to vote for these initiatives are based on our organization’s values as an equity-focused, purpose-driven group of business owners, professionals, nonprofit advocates, and public policy workers.
Our all-volunteer BFG Advocacy Committee, which meets monthly to review and recommend actions on policy affecting BFG members and our community in San Diego, has formally endorsed the following local ballot initiatives.
Yes on Measure G
- YES on Measure G. Measure G would raise the sales tax by half a cent (+$0.005) countywide to help pay for the expansion of bus and rail transportation, expanded carpool lanes, and other road repairs
- If approved, the county would collect the tax revenue in a special dedicated fund. A Citizens Committee would be appointed to oversee the spending. All of this would be built by skilled and trained San Diego workers making living wages
- The BFG Advocacy Committee believes this tax increase is necessary to bring our roads, bridges, and public transit infrastructure into the 21st century, a critical element of our fight to stop the climate crisis
Yes on Measure E (This was a tough one for us)
- Measure E would increase the sales tax in the City of San Diego by 1 cent on the dollar starting April 1, 2025. The current sales tax rate in the city is 7.75%
- The City of San Diego only receives 1% of that 7.75% (equal to 1 cent on each dollar of taxable sales)
- The remaining 6.75% is allocated among other local and state entities
- Under Measure E, the sales tax rate in the City would increase to 8.75%, of which the city would then receive 2% (equal to 2 cents on each dollar of taxable sales)
- This will double the City of San Diego’s sales tax revenue. The money will go into the City’s general fund. That will help offset a massive, ongoing structural budget deficit
- More specifically, Measure E funding will be used to build crucial stormwater infrastructure that will help alleviate deleterious flooding from future intense storms—like the ones that happened earlier in 2024—that are increasingly more common due to the climate crisis
We at BFG know that sales tax increases are imperfect solutions.
For one, they’re regressive, meaning the lowest income folks often feel it the most. We’re also acutely aware that raising taxes is the last thing anyone wants to hear right now when everything is already so expensive.
San Diegans face a difficult choice: We can continue to expect our city government to provide critical services with a lower sales tax rate than our neighboring cities of Chula Vista, Del Mar, National City, Imperial Beach, and Solana Beach.
Or, we can raise our sales tax rate by $0.01 on every dollar spent—for a total sales tax rate still equal to or below the cities listed above—double our sales tax revenue, and start to get things done.
Measure E is a massive game changer in terms of giving our local elected leaders the resources they need to address our city’s most pressing issues.
We know the need for both measures is high. And, just as importantly: we also know that our elected city officials face accountability in every future election if the revenue from these tax increases isn’t spent responsibly.
After thorough consideration, and lively discussion with differing points of view, the BFG Advocacy Committee voted to endorse both Measure G and Measure E.
Clearing up some confusion on Prop 35 and Prop 3
The wording on two statewide ballot measures this year is a little confusing, so we’re clearing things up.
- Prop 35, which provides permanent funding for MediCal services, seems like a no-brainer to support. Yes on 35 = yes on MediCal, right?
However, voting “yes” on Prop 35 would actually remove flexibility from the state’s budget. It would force restrictive measures that dictate which providers can receive MediCal funding. For many communities that rely on MediCal, Prop 35 could potentially narrow access to care, doing more harm than good. Our friends at The League of Women Voters have a good write up on the proposition here.
- Prop 3 would enshrine the right to same-sex marriage into the California constitution, essentially repealing Proposition 8. You may recall Prop 8 was voided in 2013 when the California Supreme Court reinstated same-sex marriage.
That decision, coupled with the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015, can make Prop 3 seem like a moot point.
However, Prop 3 is a necessary protective measure. Think of it in the same vein as Prop 1 in 2022, which codified the right to reproductive healthcare after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Passing (or voting “yes”) on Prop 3 would also officially codify the right to same-sex marriage in our state’s constitution, and thereby solidify the state government’s support for LGBTQ+ equality in California.
How to take further action
Voting is an empowering privilege, one that we all must exercise whenever and however we can.
If you’d like to go one step beyond the ballot box to help drive change, here are some ways you can get involved and use your voice as a business owner for good.
- Sign up as a poll worker. Poll workers are crucial every election year. Typically, there are around 7,500 poll workers every Election Day in San Diego County. Each of San Diego County’s 1,500 polling places has one site manager and four poll workers.
- Join the BFG Advocacy Committee. If you’re not already a member, join Business For Good today to be part of an organization that makes your voice heard to local policymakers as a values-led local business owner, professional, or nonprofit.
Once you’ve done that, take it a step further and join the BFG Advocacy Committee. We’ll help grow your policy knowledge and focus our attention on the regional issues that are most important to you, your employees, and your community.
“You can and should feel good about voting this year and every year,” says Mikey. “Democracy is an imperfect, messy process, but when we focus on progress and not perfection, good things happen. Focus on the things you care about, and what you feel confident about. Every time we vote, we get closer to what we envision for our country and our futures.”
