[courtesy of California Progress Report]

In this week’s Democratic weekly radio address, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen urges all registered voters to vote in next Tuesday’s primary election and provides resources voters can use if they have questions or experience difficulties.

You may listen or read the transcript below.

Hello, I’m Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California’s chief elections officer.

Tuesday is Election Day in California, our second of three statewide elections in 2008. The polls open at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday and they close at 8:00 p.m. I encourage everyone who is registered to get out and vote!

On Tuesday, we will pick the party nominees for Congress, state Senate, and state Assembly – and consider two ballot initiatives. In some areas, the ballot will also include local contests for county supervisor, mayor, school board, and other offices.

The candidates we select will make crucial decisions that shape our lives. They will determine the amount of money that goes to our neighborhood schools, to law enforcement – and even how we recycle and how often our trash is picked up.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Limits needed on precinct consolidations

By Assemblymember Alberto Torrico

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

We have our fair share of labor skirmishes here, (I refer you to my WTF is up with SEIU posts) but Nevada has its share as well. In the presidential caucus battles, well skirmishes would be putting it nicely.  Marc Cooper describes it in different terms:

But this is no run-of-the-mill get-out-the-vote campaign of the sort frequently run by labor in election season. This isn't a ground game, to use the parlance. It's a veritable ground war. Campaign against campaign. Union against union. Unions against the Democratic Party. Even faction against faction inside some unions. (Marc Cooper 1/17/08)

The battle seems to really have been set up when the Culinary Workers, who represent many casino workers, endorsed Barack Obama. Just two days later, the Nevada State Education Association, who are generally considered unofficial Clinton supporters, sued to block caucus locations in casinos. Well, the Culinary workers aren't exactly digging that. And this election might be different than other Nevada elections, with powerful ramifications for the unions:

by Kim Stevens [courtesy of Party Line]