Candidate forums give voters an opportunity learn about candidates’ positions directly from the candidates themselves. Arts for LA encourages arts-minded voters to participate in their local forums to ensure candidates running for city and school board seats have an opportunity to discuss their support for our lively arts and culture communities.

Los Angeles residents have until February 19 to initiate or update their voter registration with the State of California’s Secretary of State. Voter registration is now available online for residents holding a California driver’s license or identification card and a Social Security number.

Arts for LA encourages artists, arts leaders, and arts supporters to participate in the civic process this spring by serving as a election pollworker. 

A majority of Californians support increased investment in public education, yet both statewide initiatives that would bring more money to public schools lag in the polls. How did California get in this mess? Earlier this year, at least three different political, ideological and educational “interests” were mobilizing for the ballot.

This November, Los Angeles County voters will be asked to support Measure J, a much-needed investment in our transportation system that would start up seven transit projects and eight highway improvement projects within five years and complete them within fifteen, providing traffic relief along with 250,000 good jobs. Measure J is a remarkable opportunity to put the county back to work modernizing our transportation system. It does this not by raising taxes but by extending by another 30 years the half-cent transportation sales tax voters approved in 2008.

Californians: click to register online!

California recently became the 13th U.S. state to facilitate fully online voter registration.

"Though most states still cannot offer online voter registration, I am thrilled to say the largest state in the nation is ready to roll," Secretary of State Debra Bowen said in a statement announcing the new system. 

Arts education supporters who want to help survey school board candidates this fall can log into a free training webinar hosted by California Alliance for Arts Education on September 6.