The Links, Incorporated San Diego chapter — a nonpartisan, Black-women-led civic group — teamed up with the League of Women Voters San Diego chapter and other nonprofits Saturday to register District 4 residents to vote and educate them ahead of the Nov. 3 election. The event was dubbed “Link Up the Votes.”
The event, held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, featured youth-focused activities such as music, free haircuts, food and health checkups, with about 200 community members attending.
“Whether you’re registering for the first time, checking your registration, learning about the voting process, or bringing a young person into the conversation; you are why we’re here today,” said Kim Ballentine Lane, President of the San Diego Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Lane said the organization is nonpartisan, that “we are not here to tell you who to vote for.”
District 4 has recorded low voter turnout in previous general elections. Fewer than 59% of registered voters in West Encanto cast ballots during the 2024 general election, compared with more than 90% in University City, a higher-income area, according to County of San Diego data for the election. A majority of District 4 residents are at least 18 years old and above, according to Ballot Book, a California political data company.
“I don’t think they realize that this is not just a vote for what’s happening in D.C.,” Lane said, referring to prospective Nov. 3 voters. “This is a vote for what’s happening once you walk outside your front door. If you have to get in a car, your vote matters with the cost of gas.”
Dr. John E. Warren, Voice & Viewpoint publisher, and legal consultant Cheryle Bernard-Shaw hosted a panel on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which enforced the 15th Amendment and outlawed racial discrimination in the American voting system.
“You can vote if you’re homeless,” Dr. Warren told the audience. “You can vote if you’re incarcerated, as long as you’re not in a federal facility.”
Listening with keen interest was Joe Smith, 43, a father of five, who’s running for a seat at the Lemon District Council. He brought three of his kids to get free haircuts. But his interest was really on the voter information as one of his kids, who turned 18, will be voting for the very first time.
“I care deeply about the city that I live for my five children,” Smith said. “Voting is the fundamental way we can set the culture, the tone, policy [and] what we want our city [and] state to be.”
Jane Andrews, president of the League of Women Voters San Diego chapter, who explained to the audience what ballot measures are, encouraged voters to be informed on propositions before deciding on them. Voters can get more information about the measures and races on Voice & Viewpoint’s website. “Be sure you know what you’re voting on, and who’s behind it, and who initiated it,” Andrews said.
Representatives from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters office, who participated in the Link Up the Votes event, said voters have three options to cast their ballots: voting by mail, using a ballot drop box or voting in person at one of the county’s 220 voting centers.
Here’s the timeline from the Registrar of Voters office:
Sept. 24: Voter Information Pamphlets start going out to registered voters.
Oct. 5: Ballots start going out to registered voters.
Oct. 5: Early voting begins at the Registrar’s office: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 6: Official ballot drop boxes open daily through November 3. Visit sdvote.com for locations and hours of operation.
Oct. 19: Voter registration deadline.
Oct. 20: Conditional Voter Registration begins by visiting the Registrar’s office or a vote center through Election Day, November 3.
Oct. 24: Vote early! Select vote centers open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 31: Vote early! All vote centers open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Nov. 3: Last day to vote! Vote centers and official ballot drop boxes are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Dec. 3: Deadline to certify the election.
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