Mention the word "election," and most people will think you're referring to something that happened last November and sort of ran over into December. A smaller number will think you're talking about events that will take place in the City of Los Angeles on April 10 and June 5. Relatively few are starting to focus on March 6, 2001, yet this is an important day on the election calendar.

Residents of over 45 cities in L.A. County are preparing to go to the polls on March 6. They will have the opportunity to vote for mayors, city council members, city clerks, city treasurers, and a staggering array of ballot measures with subjects including term limits, business licenses, land use, and condom distribution.

From Calabasas to Claremont and from San Fernando to Signal Hill, the March 6 elections involve close to 400 candidates. Contests have been canceled in Rolling Hills, Hidden Hills, and Rosemead, where the number of candidates equals the number of positions to be filled, but high interest and long ballots are the rule elsewhere. Beverly Hills boasts 12 candidates for 3 council seats. Monrovia has 7 candidates for 2 council seats plus 3 candidates for Mayor. Carson has 7 candidates for mayor plus 10 candidates for 2 council seats. And so on through an alphabetical list from Artesia to West Hollywood.

The March 6 election is the first to be affected by a new law requiring voter registration to be accepted up to 15 days prior to voting day. This means that many city clerk's offices will be working overtime to get sample ballots into the mail in time for late-registering voters to make informed decisions. Meanwhile, of course, LWV California's Smart Voter will help to fill the information gap with on-line coverage.

A number of local Leagues from throughout L.A. County are enthusiastically integrating Smart Voter into their voter service programs for the first time. In doing so, they are responding not only to pleas for help from Smart Voter coordinators, but also to inquiries from city clerks, candidates, and voters. There is no doubt that Smart Voter's reputation is spreading, both inside and outside the League.

According to a recent survey, 86% found it quite easy to find the information they needed on Smart Voter and 87% found the information useful.

Check out Smart Voter at http://www.smartvoter.org. For more information, contact Frances Talbott-White at talbwhite@yahoo.com.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that works to encourage participation of citizens in government and to increase understanding of major public policy issues.