On Tuesday, November 5th, the 2024 General Election will take place on the national, statewide, and local level. Voters will be asked to cast their ballot on a number of candidates, from state senators to congressional representatives, as well as a number of propositions.
In the lead up to this election, you may have questions regarding what is on the ballot, how to get a ballot, and the process for filling out and returning your ballot to ensure that it is counted properly.
What’s on the ballot? (National)
Every two years, a slate of US Senators are running for election or re-election. Every two years, all US Representatives are running for election or re-election. Learn who is on the ballot in your state or district.
What’s on the ballot (California)
Every two years, a slate of California State Senators, State Assembly Members, and other statewide offices are up for re-election. Learn which candidates are on the ballot in your state or region.
In addition, the Jewish Center for Justice has issued a position on NINE California State propositions.
Proposition 2 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 2, Public Education Facilities Bond Measure (2024)
- Provides funding for modernizing and building new classrooms in California
- Ensures children have safe and productive access to education
Jewish society and culture has long promoted the importance of education, and our tradition encourages lifelong learning and education access. Our values also inform our belief in tikkun olam, or the pursuit to repair the world.
Proposition 3 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 3, Right to Marry and Repeal Proposition 8 Amendment (2024)
- Abolishes the current clause in the California constitution which “limits marriage to a man and a woman.”
- Makes additional amendments to the California constitution to protect same sex marriage
Judaism — like many other faith traditions — teaches that all human beings are created in the image of God. We therefore emphatically reject attempts by those who invoke religion as a shield for discrimination.
The Jewish Center for Justice support efforts at every level of government to root out discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans, including fighting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and updating the Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Proposition 4 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 4, Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure (2024)
- Supports projects related to wildfire and forest resilience, coastal protection, extreme heat, safe drinking water, and more.
- Strengthens California’s infrastructure to better handle the effects of climate change and promote cleaner environmental practices.
- Outline how taxpayer money will be used responsibly for these environmental and public health projects.
From the Garden of Eden to the laws of war and peace, the Jewish tradition calls us to act as stewards of the earth and its environment. Today, that moral mandate demands urgent and bold action. We support efforts at every level of government to combat the negative impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in alternative energy sources, and protect vulnerable populations most affected by environmental injustices.
Proposition 5 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
- Lowers the threshold for the passing of local jurisdiction bonds funding affordable housing and certain public infrastructure projects from 66.67 to 55 percent.
- Requires local governments to closely monitor the use of bond funds supporting housing assistance and public infrastructure.
The Torah commands that, “There shall be no needy among you…” (Duet 15:4), and “If…there is a needy person among you … do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin…rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need” (Duet 15:7-8). As Jews, we have an obligation to alleviate poverty, a fight which requires the building of affordable housing and public transport.
Proposition 6 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 6, Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for Crime Amendment (2024)
- Amends the California constitution by disallowing all forms of involuntary servitude, even for those who have committed a crime and/or are incarcerated.
- Stops the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) from punishing inmates for refusing an assignment.
- Allows the CDCR to reward those who take assignments by giving time credits for work.
Jewish law places a high premium on justice — but at the center of this ethic are the values of compassion, forgiveness, and the capacity to repent. We support efforts to build an American justice system that honors rehabilitation and creates pathways for acceptance and reintegration back into society. This includes legislation to address the legacies of slavery and inequality, eliminate mandatory minimums, reduce the U.S. prison population, and establish common-sense restorative justice programs across America.
Enforcing involuntary servitude or punishing inmates who refuse a job that makes them uncomfortable is an abuse of power that should be outlawed. Additionally, including a reward system for the work that is done in incarceration will create a more healthy system for inmates that will encourage real rehabilitation and growth.
Proposition 32 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 32, $18 Minimum Wage Initiative (2024)
- Expands pay for all minimum wage workers.
- Increases the hourly wage (up to $20) for certain minimum wage employees that work in a restaurant.
In a just and equitable society, no one should lack basic necessities — and everyone should be able to thrive.
The Jewish tradition commands us to “open your hand to your fellows, your poor, and your needy in your land” — a charge taken up by Jews in every generation, and in every place we have called home. We support efforts at every level of government to shrink the income and wealth gaps, root out hunger, deliver free or affordable healthcare to all, and decrease the cost of living a full and prosperous life.
Proposition 33 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 33, Prohibit State Limitations on Local Rent Control Initiative (2024)
- Gives local governments more power to enact rent control to protect California’s tenants
- Repeals the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 that doesn’t allow rent control on single family homes or homes that were only occupied after February of 1995 and prohibits vacancy control, which makes sure that rent stabilization stays in place even when tenant turnover occurs.
Many Jewish sources describe housing as one of the obligatory forms of tzedakah. With housing prices rising while wages remain stagnant, we have an obligation to fight for policies that make housing more affordable.
As of 2021, 41% of California renters are being cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent. If passed, the burden of rent on tenants would be limited and it would be more difficult for landlords to take advantage of their tenants.
Proposition 35 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote YES ✅
California Proposition 35, Managed Care Organization Tax Authorization Initiative (2024)
- Provides access to health care to low-income individuals by taxing insurance companies instead of the individual, lowering drug costs, and expanding medical education to create more healthcare professionals.
- Secures the Medi-Cal investment agreed to in 2023.
Jewish halakha informs our belief in Pikuach Nefesh — to save one life is to save the entire world. This is the most important mitzvah in the Jewish tradition. Accessible health care, lower drug costs, and more healthcare jobs are all measures that would save many lives.
Proposition 36 (California)
JCJ’s Position: Vote NO ❌
- Classifies certain drug offenses as treatment mandated felonies rather than misdemeanors and increase prison sentences for those offenses.
- Increases sentence length for theft related crimes.
Tikkun Olam — repairing the world — is one of Judaism’s core values. To do so, we have to allow for proper rehabilitation and give those who have made mistakes opportunities for a second chance.
Incarcerating those who are suffering from the disease of drug addiction will not solve issues of crime or poverty. Instead of accomplishing its desired goal of reducing drug use and homelessness in California, Proposition 36 is an expensive measure that would take funding away from drug-treatment programs and K-12 education.
To learn about all the initiatives and propositions on the California ballot, click here.
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How do I vote?
Every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot about one month before the election. If you are not registered to vote, click here to register, to check your registration status, and for information about registration deadlines. You can register to vote in person on Election Day at your polling location, click here for more details: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration/same-day-reg
If you are registered, but have not received your vote-by-mail ballot, go here to track it.
All registered California voters can also vote in person on or before Election Day. Find your polling place here.
How do I submit my vote-by-mail ballot?
Once you’ve marked your ballot, seal it inside the envelope provided. Don’t forget to sign and date the envelope! No stamps are necessary to mail a ballot. Make sure the mail ballot is postmarked by Tuesday, November 8 or earlier.
If you wish to drop off your ballot, you can do so at any voting location in your county. Some counties also offer secure drop off locations. Go here for details and locations.
Key Election Dates
October 7: County elections offices begin mailing ballots.
October 8: Ballot drop-off locations officially open.
October 22 – November 5: Same Day Voter Registration to cast a provisional ballot.
October 21: Last day to register to vote-by-mail.
October 26: Early in-person voting begins in all Voter’s Choice Act counties.
November 5: Election Day! Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
November 12: Vote by mail ballot delivery deadline (must be postmarked on or before election day).
Election Day Voting Resources
- USA.gov
- GOTV Activities for Nonprofits (National Association for the Education of Young Children)
- Vote 411
- When We All Vote
- Voto Latino
What to do if your name is not on the voter roster?
- Ask a poll worker for a Provisional Ballot
- You have the right to cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted after elections officials have confirmed you are a registered voter.
- Ask a poll worker to give you information on how to check if your provisional ballot was counted.
- Know Your Rights Resources from the ACLU
What JCJ believes
Voting is the most basic right in any democracy.
American Jews have long stood with disenfranchised communities in support of voting rights. We support efforts at every level of government to fight voter suppression and ensure access to the ballot box for every American. This includes increasing voter registration, educating voters about key political issues, assisting those who need help in getting to the polls, and fighting state legislative efforts to make it harder for people to vote.
Why volunteer at the polls?
Too many systemic barriers stand between Americans and the ballot box.
Until almost a half century ago, people of color were subjected to rules like poll taxes and literacy tests when trying to cast their ballots. These laws existed for no other reason than to make it harder for them to vote. In 1965, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act to strengthen American democracy and deliver true voting rights to all Americans.
But while our nation has seen progress, today history is repeating itself. Legislatures across America are advancing hundreds of bills to wind back the clock on voting rights. In the courts, there have been efforts to sweep away the protections enshrined in the Voting Rights Act. Under the guise of “preventing fraud,” new attacks on voting rights — from voter ID laws and purges of voter rolls to restrictions on early voting and physically limiting access to the polls — are creating a new regime of suppression built on the foundations of Jim Crow.
Volunteer opportunities to protect the vote:
- Do you work for a law firm and can assist with pro-bono work? Click here.
- Sign up to be a poll monitor
- Stay informed (click here)
Jewish sources on voting
For any community matter on which they cannot find common ground, they should convene all taxpayers, and they should agree that each will voice his or her view for the selfless benefit of the community, and they will follow the majority. — Shulchan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 163:1
If, in your opinion, the majority are about to commit an error in judgment, do not remain silent because they are the majority, but state your view. This applies even if you know beforehand that they will not accept your viewpoint but that of the majority. — The Rashbam commentary on Exodus 23:2 V 1
Rabbi Yitzhak taught, “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted.” — Talmud, B’rachot 55a