Community around us

What Is a Midterm Election

The President of the United States serves a four-year term in office. A midterm election takes place halfway through that four-year presidential term—two years after a presidential election. Because it occurs in the middle of the President's term, it is called a midterm election.

Unlike presidential elections, midterm elections do not include races for President or Vice President. Instead, voters help determine the composition of Congress and, in many cases, vote on important state and local offices and ballot measures.

During a midterm election, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election. The results determine the balance of power in Congress, which plays a critical role in shaping laws, approving budgets, and influencing the direction of the country.

Midterm elections are often viewed as a reflection of public sentiment regarding the President's performance. When candidates from the President's political party gain seats in Congress, it can strengthen the President's ability to advance legislative priorities.

When the President's party loses seats, it may become more difficult to pass legislation and implement policy goals.

In addition to federal races, voters may also see state and local contests on their ballot, including elections for governor, state legislators, judges, school boards, city councils, and other local offices. Important state and local ballot measures may also be decided during a midterm election.

The United States government is built upon three co-equal branches: the Executive Branch (led by the President), the Legislative Branch (Congress), and the Judicial Branch (the courts). While presidential elections often receive the most attention, midterm elections determine who will represent communities in the Legislative Branch and help shape the laws and policies that affect daily life.

Midterm elections provide voters with an opportunity to help determine the direction of government, influence public policy, and ensure their voices are heard at the federal, state, and local levels.

In 2022, voter turnout in the United States was approximately 52.2%, lower than many civic leaders and advocates would like to see for such an important election. Every election matters, and every vote contributes to the democratic process.

California's General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Let's go vote.

Understanding the Government Budget Process

Every year, governments decide how public funds will be collected and spent. This process is called budgeting. A budget is more than a financial document—it reflects a government's priorities and determines how tax dollars are invested in services such as public safety, parks, libraries, roads, public health, housing, transportation, and community programs.

Although the exact schedule varies by jurisdiction, most governments prepare their budgets several months before the start of the new fiscal year.

City of San Diego

The City of San Diego operates on an annual (one-year) budget cycle.

October–January: City departments develop budget requests while gathering public input and considering City Council priorities.
April 15: The Mayor releases the Proposed Budget.
Late April–Mid-May: The Budget Review Committee holds public hearings and budget presentations.
Mid-May: The Mayor releases the May Revision, incorporating updated financial information.
Late May–June: The City Council reviews the revised budget, considers modifications, adopts the budget resolution, and approves the appropriation ordinance before the fiscal year begins on July 1.

County of San Diego

The County of San Diego operates on a two-year budget cycle.

January: Budget workshops review the County's financial outlook and gather community input on funding priorities.
May: The Chief Administrative Officer releases the Recommended Budget, opening a public comment period and hosting community open houses.
June: The Board of Supervisors conducts formal public budget hearings, discusses revisions, and adopts the budget before the fiscal year begins on July 1.

Although the County adopts a two-year budget, adjustments may be made each year to reflect changing community needs and economic conditions.

State of California

California operates on an annual budget cycle.

January: The Governor releases the Proposed Budget.
May: The Governor issues the May Revision, updating revenue projections and spending proposals.
June: The Legislature reviews, negotiates, and passes the budget before the Governor signs it into law prior to July 1.

Federal Government

The federal government also operates on an annual budget cycle.

Early February: The President submits a proposed budget to Congress.
Spring and Summer: Congressional committees review, amend, and debate the proposal.
By October 1: Congress passes appropriations bills, which are signed by the President before the federal fiscal year begins.

How Is a Budget Created?

While every government has its own process, most budgets follow a similar path:

Government departments identify community needs and submit funding requests.
Staff review requests and prepare a recommended budget.
Public workshops and hearings allow residents to provide input.
Committees, councils, legislatures, or boards review, discuss, and revise the proposal.
The governing body adopts the budget.
The budget is officially approved by the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, Governor, or President, depending on the level of government.

How Can You Participate?

The budget belongs to the public. Community members have many opportunities to help shape how tax dollars are spent.

You can:

Attend public budget meetings or hearings.
Speak during public comment.
Submit written comments or testimony.
Email, write, or call your elected representatives.
Meet with elected officials or their staff.
Stay informed by reviewing proposed budgets and meeting agendas.
Share your priorities with your neighborhood, community organizations, or advocacy groups.

Budgets shape the services we rely on every day. By participating in the budget process, residents help ensure that public investments reflect the needs and priorities of the communities they serve.

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Understanding Propositions and Ballot Measures

Many people vote on propositions and ballot measures during an election, but few know how they get on the ballot in the first place.

What Is a Proposition?

In California, a proposition is a statewide question that appears on the ballot for voters to decide. Propositions may create new laws, change existing laws, approve bonds, increase certain taxes, or amend the California Constitution.

What Is a Ballot Measure?

A ballot measure is a broader term that includes any question submitted to voters. Ballot measures can appear at the state, county, city, school district, or special district level. Statewide ballot measures are commonly called propositions, while local ballot measures are often identified by letters such as Measure A, Measure B, or Measure C.

How Do They Get on the Ballot?

There are several ways a proposition or ballot measure can be placed before voters.

Citizen Initiative
Residents may draft a proposed law or constitutional amendment and collect the required number of valid signatures from registered voters. If enough signatures are verified, the measure qualifies for the ballot.

Legislative Referral
The California Legislature may vote to place certain proposals, such as constitutional amendments or statewide bond measures, before voters.

Local Government Referral
City Councils, County Boards of Supervisors, school districts, and other local agencies may place local measures on the ballot. These often involve local taxes, bonds, public safety, infrastructure, parks, libraries, or other community issues.

Referendum
If citizens disagree with a law recently passed by the Legislature, they may collect signatures to ask voters whether the law should remain in effect.

Recall
Voters may also petition to place a recall election on the ballot to determine whether an elected official should be removed from office before the end of their term.

Why Must They Appear on the Ballot?

Some decisions are considered significant enough that they require direct approval from voters rather than being decided solely by elected officials. Depending on the type of proposal and the applicable laws, voters may be asked to approve constitutional amendments, certain taxes, bond measures, or other major policy changes.

The ballot gives residents the opportunity to make these decisions directly.

How Does a Proposition or Measure Become Law?

Once a proposition or ballot measure qualifies for the ballot, voters decide whether to approve or reject it during an election.

The number of votes required for passage depends on the type of measure. Many measures pass with a simple majority (more than 50%), while others—such as certain local taxes or bonds—may require a two-thirds vote or another threshold established by law.

If a measure receives the required number of votes, it becomes law according to the procedures established in California law.

Can a Law Be Changed or Repealed?

Yes. Laws can be changed or repealed in several ways, depending on how they were originally adopted.

The Legislature may amend or repeal laws that it has enacted, unless limited by the law or the Constitution.
Voters may approve another proposition or ballot measure to amend or repeal an existing voter-approved law when permitted.
Courts may declare a law unconstitutional if it conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or the California Constitution.
Local governments may amend or repeal local ordinances when authorized by law, while some voter-approved local measures must be returned to the voters for approval before they can be changed.

Understanding how propositions and ballot measures work helps residents see that elections are not only about choosing leaders—they are also an opportunity for voters to help shape the laws and policies that affect their communities.

Understanding Our Park System

Have you ever wondered why some parks are called city parks, while others are county parks, state parks, or national parks?

Although they all provide places to enjoy the outdoors, each serves a different purpose and is managed by a different level of government. Understanding the differences can help you know what to expect when you visit.

City Parks – Recreation Close to Home

City parks are owned and maintained by city governments and are designed to serve the daily recreational needs of local residents. They are typically located within city limits and provide places for families, neighbors, and community members to gather, exercise, and enjoy outdoor activities.

You will often find:

Playgrounds
Sports fields and courts
Picnic areas
Dog parks
Walking paths
Community centers
Recreation programs and special events

City parks are designed to support everyday community life.

County Parks – Regional Recreation and Open Space

County parks are managed by county governments and often serve residents from multiple communities. Many county parks are located in unincorporated areas, where the County provides local government services. Others are regional parks that welcome visitors from across the county.

County parks often provide larger natural spaces than neighborhood parks and may include:

Hiking and equestrian trails
Campgrounds
Nature preserves
Regional picnic areas
Historic sites
Open space and wildlife habitat

Because county parks balance recreation with conservation, visitors often experience a more natural environment while still enjoying recreational opportunities.

State Parks and State Beaches – Protecting California's Natural and Cultural Heritage

State parks and state beaches are managed by California State Parks.

Their mission is not only to provide recreation but also to preserve California's natural, cultural, and historic resources for future generations.

Many state parks protect:

Native plants and wildlife habitat
Ancient trees and unique ecosystems
Historic buildings
Archaeological and cultural sites
Scenic landscapes

Unlike neighborhood parks that are primarily designed for recreation, preservation is the primary purpose of state parks. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy these special places while helping protect them for future generations.

When visiting a state park, always stay on designated trails, respect wildlife, help preserve historical and cultural resources, and follow the park's posted rules and regulations.

National Parks – Protecting America's Treasured Landscapes

National parks are managed by the National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

These parks preserve places of exceptional natural, cultural, and historical significance for the entire nation.

Examples include:

Yosemite National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Death Valley National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Yellowstone National Park

Like state parks, national parks are managed with preservation as a primary goal. They protect some of America's most remarkable landscapes, wildlife, ecosystems, and historic landmarks while providing opportunities for recreation, education, and scientific research.

Why Are There Different Levels?

Each level of government has a different responsibility.

City parks focus on serving neighborhoods and supporting everyday recreation.
County parks provide regional parks, trails, campgrounds, and open spaces that serve multiple communities, especially in unincorporated areas.
State parks preserve California's natural, cultural, and historical resources while allowing people to enjoy them responsibly.
National parks protect places of exceptional importance to the entire nation.

Together, these park systems provide everything from neighborhood playgrounds to some of the world's most treasured natural and historic places.

How Can You Help Protect Our Parks?

No matter which park you visit, you can help preserve these public spaces by:

Respecting park rules and regulations.
Staying on designated trails.
Packing out your trash.
Respecting wildlife and observing from a safe distance.
Protecting historical and cultural resources.
Leaving parks clean for the next visitor.

Parks belong to everyone. By treating them with care and respect, we help ensure they remain beautiful, safe, and enjoyable for future generations.

Environmental Awareness

Every action we take leaves an impact.

The food we eat, the products we buy, the water we use, and the things we throw away all become part of a much larger story. Although a single action may seem insignificant, our world is shaped by the combined choices of billions of people, repeated every day.

It is easy to believe that one plastic bottle, one shopping bag, or one piece of litter does not matter.

By itself, it probably doesn't.

But environmental change rarely happens because of one person or one event. It happens because millions of small actions are repeated over time. In the same way, positive change also begins with small actions repeated by many people.

Nature is an interconnected system.

Rain carries litter into storm drains. Storm drains flow into rivers, and rivers eventually reach the ocean. Wildlife depends on clean water, healthy habitats, and balanced ecosystems. What begins in one neighborhood can eventually affect places far beyond where it started.

The same is true for the choices we make.

Every product we purchase requires natural resources, energy, water, transportation, and human labor. Every item we throw away continues its journey long after it leaves our hands. Some materials can be recycled into new products. Others remain in landfills for years or become litter that affects our neighborhoods, parks, beaches, waterways, and wildlife.

Environmental awareness is not about living a perfect, waste-free life.

It is about recognizing that our everyday choices matter.

Imagine if every person made just one environmentally conscious choice each day.

No one person or one action will change the world overnight. But if millions of people each take one small step every day, those individual actions become millions of reusable bottles, millions of pieces of litter removed or never created, millions of products given a second life, and millions of thoughtful decisions that help protect the places we all share.

Lasting change rarely begins with one giant leap. It begins with one small step, taken by many people, one day at a time.

Take a Small Step Today:

Refrain from using a straw today.
Try carrying your items with your arms or ask a store if they have an empty cardboard box you can reuse instead of taking a shopping bag.
Reuse a cup of water by watering a plant. For example, use water from rinsing fruits or vegetables, as long as it does not contain soap, salt, or other chemicals.
Pick up one piece of litter during your day today.
Pick up a jar, can, or bottle and read the label to see whether it is recyclable.
Pick up a random household item and challenge yourself to think of a creative way to use it beyond its original purpose.
Try look up a thrift store in your area and visit it. You might discover something antique, vintage, unique, or simply useful.
Have a birthday coming up? Skip the gift bag, tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbon, and bow. Try wrapping your gift with old newspaper or decorating it with materials you already have around the house.
Try compost or recycle your food scraps tonight.
Turn off the lights and use natural sunlight instead.
Challenge yourself to use a little less running water today.
Eating out? Try to take your leftovers home and enjoy them as a second meal or snack.
Combine errands into one trip to reduce driving.
Looking for a gift idea? Consider giving an experience instead of an object, such as a fitness or streaming subscription, a bus, trolley, or train pass, or tickets to a concert, movie, museum, or class.
When possible, choose products that do not require batteries. If batteries are necessary, choose rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
Hosting a party, picnic, camping trip, or potluck soon? Use real plates, cups, and silverware. Mismatched is part of the charm. If you need more, borrow them from friends or family.
Serving drinks? Use pitchers and reusable glasses instead of single-use bottles and disposable cups.
Plant a tree in your yard. It can provide shade, help keep your home cooler during the summer, improve air quality, provide you with free bird concerts and performances, and even create natural Halloween decorations.
During the summer, try preparing no-cook or low-cook meals to help keep your home cooler and reduce energy use.

20. Take the bus anywhere today. Visit a designated Cool Zone, park, library, museum, art gallery, or beach.