Tuesday November 4th, is election day in the United States. Most of the focus on the mainstream media has been on Obama and McCain, but several third party candidates are also running and there are many local and statewide races and propositions.

National

Nationally, the Green Party ticket of Cythnia McKinney and Rosa Clemente as well as the independent ticket of Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez are running for President and Vice-President. Frank Moore is also running as a write-in candidate (1 | 2 | 3 ).

The Election: Democracy Now: Is the Nation's Voting System Ready? | Beyond Chron National Election Predictions | Voter Caging in Northern California? | Police prepare for unrest | The Vote – A Blank Check for State Power | Over $1 Billion Raised for Prez Race | Navigating Election Day: A Little Preparation Can Go a Long Way | 2008 Pre-Election Message from Stewart A. Alexander | Appeals Court Orders Michigan To Restore 5,500 Voters To Rolls | Michael Moore on the Election | | Lawsuits, Machine Malfunctions, and Missing Absentee Ballots Among Voting Rights Issues Facing Jittery Election | Be Prepared for Long Lines, Snafus on Election Day

The Candidates: Cythina McKinney comes to Houston | Obama begins to “lower expectations” for a Democratic White House | Alexander Cockburn: Obama, the first-rate Republican | Obama and the Unions | The Electoral College and Barack Obama's win by over 100 Electoral Votes | How John McCain Came to Pick Sarah Palin

California

In California, anti-war activists Cindy Sheehan is challenging Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for Congressional District 8.

Nancy Pelosi flees requests to debate Cindy Sheehan | Cindy Sheehan gets 40 Seconds to speak to Nancy Pelosi | How can a 3rd party candidate make any headway

There are also twelve state propositions on the ballot:

Proposition 2, Californians for Humane Farms, will provide basic protection to farm animals by preventing the three most cruel forms of confinement in the practice of animal agribusiness, namely, veal crates, battery cages, and gestation crates.
Proposition 4 is a Constitutional Amendment that will require parental notification for those under 18 seeking abortions.
Proposition 5 requires California to expand and increase funding and oversight for individualized treatment and rehabilitation programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees. It reduces criminal consequences of nonviolent drug offenses by mandating three-tiered probation with treatment and by providing for case dismissal and/or sealing of records after probation. It limits court's authority to incarcerate offenders who violate probation or parole, shortens parole for most drug offenses, including sales, and for nonviolent property crimes and creates numerous divisions, boards, commissions, and reporting requirements regarding drug treatment and rehabilitation. It also changes certain marijuana misdemeanors to infractions.
Proposition 6 would crack down on gangs, drugs, and youth, by - among other things - forcing all public housing residents to submit to criminal background checks, prosecuting "gang-related" youths from the age of 14 as adults, admitting hearsay evidence in court, and establishing harsher penalties and eliminating bail for violent crimes.
Proposition 7 requires half of our electricity would come from renewable energy sources by 2025. Most environmental groups oppose the proposition since they say it is "simply a way to subsidize businesses and power companies for making minimal efforts to develop solar and clean energy sources." Additionally many see it as biased towards large-scale desert energy plants, which will need expensive long-distance transmission lines and because it it removes the cap on fines for utilities that fail to meet renewable requirements.
Proposition 8 will change the California Constitution to ban same sex marriage. (See Indybay blurb on Prop 8 for more information)
Proposition 9 proposes additions and amendments to the California Constitution and to the California Penal Code, relating to the rights of victims of crime. Most of the changes being requested greatly expand victim's rights that were passed in 1982 in a proposition titled "The Victim's Bill of Rights." It would make the first priority of the Board of Parole Hearings to protect victim's rights in the parole process. Prop. 9 greatly limits prisoners' rights to due process, legal representation and parole consideration.
Proposition 10 also known as the California Alternative Fuels Initiative, authorizes the state to issue $5 billion bonds - reaching almost $10 billion when finally repaid from state's General Fund in 30 years - to promote "alternative fuels" use, research, and education. Prop 10 heavily promotes the use of a rapidly declining, greenhouse gas-emitting, fossil fuel - natural gas. While the promoters talk about "alternative fuel vehicles", the language of the proposition excludes most electric and hybrid vehicles, giving the lion's share of funds to truckers switching from diesel to natural gas. Most environmental groups oppose the measure.

DN: California Attorney General vs. Drug Policy Alliance: A Debate on California's Prop 5 | Summit of Humane Leaders Convenes in San Francisco to Urge Yes! on Prop 2 | Prop 9 Means Fraud for Taxpayers Pelosi

San Francisco

In San Francisco, the SF Bay Guardian writes that "[t]he direction of the next board — and city hall — will be determined in Districts 1, 3, and 11, where the incumbents are termed out and progressives are fighting downtown-funded candidates."

Additionally, San Francisco propositions include:

Proposition B would set aside a small percentage of the city's property-tax revenue — enough to generate about $33 million a year — for affordable housing. It would set a baseline appropriation to defend the money the city currently spends on housing. It would expire in 15 years.
Proposition H would require the city to study how to efficiently and affordably achieve 51 percent renewable energy by 2017, scaled up to 100 percent by 2040. Should the study find that a publicly owned utility infrastructure would be most effective, it would allow the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) to issue revenue bonds, with approval from the Board of Supervisors, to purchase the necessary lines, poles, and power-generation facilities.
Proposition K would make enforcement of the prostitution laws a low priority for the San Francisco Police Department. It would effectively cut off funding for prostitution busts — but would require the cops to pursue cases involving violent crime against sex workers.
Proposition R would officially rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. That would put San Francisco in the position of creating the first official memorial to Bush.
Proposition V would bringing back JROTC in SF public schools. Last year the San Francisco school board last year voted to end its Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program.

Beyond Chron S.F. Election Predictions | P&F Campaigns And Recommendations in San Francisco | SpeakOut against militarism in San Francisco schools | Yes on Prop K: The Police, The DA, and SAGE--A lucrative partnership | Public Speaks Out in Support of Prop K | Support Prop B: Secure a Future for San Francisco’s Children | Don’t Believe PG&E’s 10 Million Dollar Assault On Clean Energy | JROTC: The Untold Story | “Chris Daly” Attacks Could Backfire | Discrimination is Not a Choice: No on V | Balancing the Burden: Yes on N, O & Q | Poor Magazine's Poverty Scholars urge a NO on Proposition L SF: No On Proposition V | George W. Bush's place in History: SF Voters will Rite Chapter One on Nov. 4th

East Bay

East Bay races include several indepedent candidates running for the mayor of Berkeley; Zachary RunningWolf and Kahlil Jacobs-Fantauzzi are write-in candidates running against the current mayor Tom Bates, who is favored by mainstream progressive groups, and former mayor Shirley Dean.

Additionally, Berkeley Measure JJ would make pot clinics a defined and permitted use under local zoning laws. Since it's almost impossible to find a site for a pot club now, this measure would allow existing clinics to stay in business if they have to move.

Rare Opportunity - Spectacular Candidate for AC Transit

Santa Cruz:
Share Your Voting Experiences

Endorsements: SF Bay View | Alameda Green Party Endorsements & Voter Guide | CA Green Party Endorsements | Peace & Freedom Party | SF Bay Guardian (Printable | Full Details & Explanations)