By Calvin Welch, HANC Board

This November’s election was held in the new Supervisor districts created earlier this year which divided the Haight-Ashbury into three districts: 1 precinct in District 1, 7 precincts in District 5 and 5 precincts in District 8. The  three sub areas of the neighborhood used in previous "How the Haight Voted" presentations--the North Panhandle (from Fulton to Fell, Stanyan to Baker ), the Flatlands (Oak to Frederick, Stanyan to Baker) and the Hills (Frederick to 17th, Stanyan to Upper Ashbury)--will continue to be used, but the precincts have been reconfigured.  For example in the Hill precincts, three previous precincts have not only been re-numbered but also combined into a single new precinct (9802) that includes streets on the west side of Stanyan and are now part of District 8.  Our neighborhood now has 1 precinct in the North Panhandle in District 1 (9147), 5, all except 9803 in the Hills  in D8 (9802-06) and 7 precincts (9501-06) remaining in the North Panhandle and Flatland precincts ( where 9803 now sits).  Thus under the new precinct lines there are four precincts in the North Panhandle, five in the Flatlands and four in the Hill precincts.

Since Supervisor elections are conducted by even and odd numbered districts, Haight-Ashbury voters will not vote for the same Supervisor under the new district boundaries for the first time in modern history.  This year was the election of even numbered Supervisor District, and voters, mainly in the hill precincts, had a Supervisor to vote for, while those of us in the D5 and D1 precincts did not.

That seems to have had an impact on voter turnout this November.  Some 4,102 folks voted in the Haight-Ashbury D8 precincts and had a very high 78% turnout, while some 4,704 Haight-Ashbury D5 voters had a 74% turnout.  Turnout for all of D5 turnout was 60%, for all of D8 was 78%, while citywide 62% of registered voters cast their vote.  This turnout difference seems to have had some impact on the neighborhood’s vote totals on some key races such as the two housing measures (D and E) and the vote to create a parcel tax for City College (Prop. O). But more of that at the December meeting.

While there are real differences in how people vote between the three sub-areas of the neighborhood that illustrate citywide politics and the influence that income and land tenure have in those politics, it is important to remind ourselves about what a special place this is.  The City has been under attack both nationally and locally by powerful wealthy conservative forces whose line is that we are some sort of progressive hellscape, and that our only hope is to embrace conservative, even reactionary values.  This struggle finds resonance in this neighborhood with some voices echoing that bogus line.  But it is only a distinct minority view here in the Haight-Ashbury

Just three votes this November may give you heart and a renewed admiration for your neighbors.  While the California Constitutional Amendment granting protection for a woman's right to choose passed at the state level with 67% of the vote, and passed in San Francisco with 90% of the vote, it passed in our neighborhood with 95% of the vote, indeed, one precinct in the Flatlands, 9503, gave it 99% of its vote. While funding for public libraries (Prop F) passed citywide with 83% of the vote, it passed in our neighborhood by 91%.  While Prop G, which dedicated some $150 million over the next five years to enrich public education with additional tutoring, arts and science and after-school programs, passed citywide with 78% of the vote, here in the Haight-Ashbury it passed with 85% of the vote.

HANC made recommendations on 10 local ballot measures.  We will see how they did with the voters.  Join us on December 8 to learn how we voted and let us know what you think that means.