Mayor Steinberg Casts Ballot at New Vote Center

(Versión en Español aqui)

I've always wondered why, if we want to encourage voter turnout, Election Day is not a national holiday. With Sacramento County leading the way, California is now doing even more than creating one holiday to make voting easier.

This morning, a Saturday, I joined Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, City Councilmembers Jay Schenirer and Eric Guerra, and community activists to open the first Vote Centers in Sacramento County. Additional centers will be opening soon -- more than 70 in the county.

You can mail in your ballot, drop it off at a Vote Center anytime through Election Day, or vote in person using a paper ballot or the new touch-screen system. I used the touch screen at the Maple Neighborhood Center in south Sacramento-- it was quick and easy. Everyone has an obligation to exercise their civic duty and vote, but we in government have an obligation to remove barriers that prevent people from fully participating in our democracy. I'm proud that Sacramento County is among the first five counties in California to adopt the changes under the Voters Choice Act.