Ballots are in the mail + How to vote + What’s up next: This week in Outspoken
It is Monday, Oct. 5, and this is The Tribune’s Outspoken newsletter.
Hello again, young SLO County!
We are officially less than a month away from the election, and we know you all are in the process of figuring out who you will cast your vote for.
But since many of you may have already received your mail-in ballots in the past few days — San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Tommy Gong announced they were in the mail last week — we figured it would be a good idea to answer some important questions about how to vote.
We’ve published a handy voting 101 guide that answers questions about registration, deadlines and why you got a vote-by-mail ballot without requesting it. The link to that story is below.
We’ll continue to publish important informational guides like this one right up to the election to help make sure you know how to make your voice heard, so stay tuned in the coming days.
At the same time, Tribune writers are working full-speed to report some of our first solutions-based stories to come out of this project. We’ve included a little bit of information on that below to pique your interest (hint: it’s definitely not a throwaway issue —or is it?).
Lastly, we wanted to let you know that a very cool tool launched across McClatchy news outlets last week that will be essential in determining who you cast your vote for this November. It’s called the Voter Guide, and it gathers information on all of the candidates you will see on your ballot in one, easy online location.
Pro tip: If you click on the “Compare Candidates” button for local races, you might just learn some more about how local candidates feel about some of our biggest Outspoken issues (we told you we were making your issues a top priority).
That’s all for now, but make sure to stay connected with us (follow @kaytyleslie and @CassandraGari on Twitter) throughout the week for your first look at our Outspoken work.
Have a great week!
Kaytlyn and Cassandra
Your voting questions, answered
Voting at the best of times can feel a little bit confusing, but in the middle of a pandemic — whew, boy.
To help alleviate some of that confusion, especially for you first-time or infrequent voters out there, we made a quick FAQ about voting in San Luis Obispo County.
The guide talks about things like how to register and when you should register by (that deadline is fast approaching, btw), why California voters have all gotten mail-in ballots this year, and where you can go on Election Day to drop off your ballot if you, you know, don’t want to mail it in like its name suggests.
Also fun fact: we all get those “I Voted” stickers this year, even if we don’t vote in person. They’re included in the ballot packets mailed to you. Yay, stickers!!
Read the guide here ... and maybe share it too?
Let’s talk about candidates, baby
Yes, all of this procedural stuff is helpful, but we know you’re also anxious to hear more about the candidates and where they stand on your biggest issues.
We’re working on something right now that condenses down their specific Outspoken opinions, but for a broad look at their stances on a range of things impacting SLO County, look no further than the Voter Guide.
Here you can learn about their top three campaign donors, their education, their opinion on COVID-19 response and much more.
Check out the interactive Voter Guide here.
Coming soon in Outspoken: Just some garbage info
Recycling shouldn’t be so difficult, right? Or at least that’s what some people said in the Outspoken survey.
While many people are concerned about environmental policies, some specifically said better recycling programs are in order.
But as the executive director of SLO County’s Integrated Waste Management Authority put it: There are “hard truths we need to start talking about” when it comes to recycling.
So, The Tribune is doing just that.
This week we’re diving into waste management and how to reduce, reuse and, yes, recycle.
Follow Cassandra Garibay (@CassandraGari) to know when our first solutions-based Outspoken story is published this week.
In other news: Tribune looks at rental conditions in SLO County
In an intersection of multiple beats and projects colliding, we wanted to share with you the start of a series by Tribune reporter Lindsey Holden and our very own Cassandra that touches on one of your big Outspoken concerns: rental conditions in SLO County.
Lindsey and Cassandra, as part of a project supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, investigated housing conditions in working class neighborhoods this year and found that many renters were living in sub-par conditions for fear of having nowhere else to go. Give the story a read if you have a few moments to spare.
Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend, young SLO County!
• • •
Love this newsletter? Forward it to a friend! They can sign up here.
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
%20Cropped.jpg)
