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Secretary of State forum Thursday night at I-House

By Kathleen Maclay

In one of California’s most contested statewide office races in recent memory, Democrat Alex Padilla and Republican Pete Peterson are vying to be the state’s chief elections official and will face off in a live debate on campus Thursday, Oct. 9.

The debate begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Chevron Auditorium at International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Doors open at 6 p.m.

You can register for the event at: http://californiasecretaryofstateforum-berkeley.eventbrite.com. It will be live-streamed statewide and can be watched online at https://www.youtube.com/user/ucberkeleyevents.

The program is sponsored by UC Berkeley’s Center for Latino Policy Research (CLPR) , the ACLU of California Voting Rights Project, California Common Cause, the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund and Rock the Vote. Moderating the forum will be John Myer, the Sacramento bureau chief for KQED Radio. This will be the last community forum before the election.

“We have an impending need to expand voter participation and ensure transparency in the process,” said Patricia Baquedano-Lopez, chair of CLPR. “With six million eligible Californians not registered to vote, efforts to change this situation need to be at the forefront of the Secretary of State’s Office. We are delighted to co-sponsor this forum and do our part in sharing information about the importance of registering to vote and engaging these two candidates in dialogue about the future of California.”

California ranks 48th among all states in the percentage of eligible voters who are registered to vote. You can register to vote online for California’s general election, which takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 4.