Oct 14 - SF absentee ballots

• Today I finished the absentee voting for the local SF mayoral and propositions election November 6th. I am a real advocate of permanent absentee ballot voting. I can avoid worrying about
• The high odds I'm out of town that day
  
• I can read up on all the candidates/issues in my very thorough detailed voting reference book (definitely not a leaflet, brochure, or packet - this is one fat book).
• I can vote on my time, when I have time to do so (vs 7am before my client meeting, or instead of another engagement).

• This is the 2nd time I've voted now in my almost 2 years in San Francisco. It's my first mayoral and deputy sherriff vote. I don't think other cities do this, but in SF you can vote for your 1st, 2nd , and 3rd choice on the ballots. I'm not clear why it's necessary to vote for 2nd and 3rd preferences. Don't they tally the votes and come up with their own 1st , 2nd and 3rd places? It's my understanding that these choices are used when there is a tie. A tie? Do they really have ties? I don't buy it, but I suppose after the 2004 presidential election, maybe they do. I did vote for incumbent Gavin Newsom. Based on the several opponents, I thought he was a better choice than the nudist, the nightclub owner, the author, and the shopkeepers. I did like the 2 journalists, so they did get my 2nd and 3rd votes. I do hope that we don't have a tie.
• The other propositions on the ballot are most intriguing. Parking spaces is a hot item. Why is parking such a big deal in this city? It is an any big city. Get over it. I can't imagine voting for private parking in lieu of 750k towards public transportation. I don't even own a car.
• Also on the ballot was a free wi-fi network in San Francisco. After reading the for/against arguments I voted for. I feel bad about the disoriented bees, and yes people are really going to learn about security protection and internet fraud, but that's all part of progress. There also was an argument about "Google knowing more than it even knows now if there happened." Yawn. And who knows maybe we will all suffer radiation sickness from all the silent and hidden wireless spectrum continual pounding we take. There's also the lack of devices to even get on a network for the digital divide have-nots. But I am a futurist. I can't imagine not helping to progress society forward when such an opportunity exists and I can have a say in moving forward.
• The last item on the ballot took some thought as well. Do we allow new advertising space on public buildings and within special zones? The arguments for allowing this, even though it was endorsed by the Republican party, won me over. Advertising can aesthetically appeal if done within what the city sets as limits. It also helps subsidize newsstands and public spaces that otherwise wouldn't be built or maintained.
  
• Many of these issues require deeper looks. If I had 10 minutes at the polls to complete my thoughts and vote on November 6th, I definitely wouldn't feel like I knew the issues enough to cast a knowledgeable vote for many items.
  

• Don't forget to vote in your upcoming elections. As John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost"