Campaigns make final push
Voters to choose on general plan options today

Posted June 5, 2007

By JIM JOHNSON
Herald Salinas Bureau

Working the phones, pounding the pavement and knocking on doors, campaigners for both sides in the battle over which general plan will direct growth in Monterey County over the next quarter-century geared up for today's election with a flurry of activity Monday.

And that bustle of last-minute campaigning isn't expected to relent until after the polls close at 8 p.m. today. Beginning at 7 a.m., polls will be open at
84 locations across the county.

Voters will have a chance to weigh in on four measures on today's ballot, including three directly related to the general plan debate. Measure A asks voters if they want to approve the citizen-authored general plan initiative, known as GPI; Measure B asks voters if they want to repeal the supervisor-approved general plan update, known as GPU4; and Measure C asks voters if they want to approve GPU4. Measure D asks voters if they want to approve the controversial Rancho San Juan-area Butterfly Village subdivision north of Salinas.

The initiative is generally considered more restrictive of growth than GPU4, which allows development in more areas than GPI does. GPU4 is a full update of the county's 1982 general plan while GPI only amends the land-use and housing elements of the previous general plan. The initiative requires a public vote to change any of its provisions, while the supervisors can change any part of the update.

Yes on Measure A campaigners planned to continue their get-out-the-vote efforts all day today,

said campaign manager Paula Lotz. In addition to waving signs and distributing political ads known as "doorhangers," Lotz said volunteers will monitor polls to make sure as many of the voters who have expressed support for the initiative have cast their ballots.
"We know we still have a lot of voters out there that we have to reach," Lotz said. "We've identified a lot of people on our side, so we want to make sure they get out and vote."

A plane towing a Yes on A campaign sign will also fly over the Peninsula, Lotz said.

Campaigners opposed to Measure A are concentrating their efforts on distributing their own doorhangers and knocking on doors to get out the vote, especially in Salinas and the Salinas Valley, said No on A campaign manager Andre Charles.

"It's common knowledge that we do best in the Valley so we're trying to get as many voters out there as possible," Charles said.

Tractors will be on hand at several locations on the Peninsula, he said, touting the campaign's support from the agricultural industry.

Turnout is expected to be in the 35- to 45-percent range, said new county Registrar of Voters Linda Tulett. A total of 143,553 voters were registered in the county at the end of May, said county elections officials.

As of Saturday, 34,451 absentee ballots had been submitted to the Elections Department, about 43 percent of the nearly 80,000 sent out. About half of that total are expected to be returned.

Lotz expressed surprise that so few absentee ballots had been returned, but said a lower voter turnout will help the Measure A campaign.

"I look at that as a positive because I think the people who don't understand the issue aren't voting,"
Lotz said, "and the people who do understand the issue are going to vote the right way."

Charles said he couldn't tell whether a smaller voter turnout would help or hurt the anti-Measure A campaign.

Jim Johnson can be reached at 753-6753 or jjohnson@montereyherald.com.

Where do I vote? Voters can find their polling places by looking on the back cover of their sample ballot and voter information pamphlet, by calling the Monterey County Elections Department at 796-1499, or by visiting the department's Web site at www.montereycountyelections.us