League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara

California Coastal Commission Will Seek Cease-and-Desist Order Against Sable The California Coastal Commission will seek a cease-and-desist order against Sable Offshore Corp. and its use of its pipelines through the coastal zone.

true

"A slow count is not a sign that something is wrong. In fact, it's a sign that things are going the right way."

That's our Deputy Director Dora Rose in today's New York Times, setting the record straight on California's elections.

They don't have the facts, so they're manufacturing fear. We're doing something about it.

Yesterday the League stood with Senator Tom Umberg and California Common Cause's ED Darius Kemp at the Capitol to back SB 884 (Umberg and Cervantes) — a bill that keeps federal agents away from polling places, adds ballot drop boxes in all 58 counties, and gives every legal vote time to be counted this November.

Bill by bill, California has built one of the most open and accessible voting systems in the world. We intend to keep it that way. California's elections belong to California voters.

Read the coverage — links in the first comment ⬇️

no surprise

Two of President Donald Trump’s head honchos, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, visited Santa Barbara on Friday to celebrate the recent restart of Sable Offshore’s oil production in the county.

After an aerial tour of the company’s offshore oil infrastructure, they arrived, via helicopter, at Sable’s huge processing plant tucked into Las Flores Canyon near Goleta for a press conference where they, along with Sable’s CEO James Flores, aggressively defended Wright’s recent order to restart the legally embattled pipeline by overriding California’s determination that the company had not yet met the state’s safety standards.

The plant where the conference occurred was the same one that was shut down 10 years ago after the same pipeline caused a massive spill along the Gaviota Coast. Despite facing multiple legal roadblocks from the state — which Sable is still grappling with — Sable was allowed to restart production at its offshore wells, processing plant, and pipelines. Wright ordered it to do so shortly after the U.S and Israel began bombing Iran by citing the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 on national security grounds.

Sable CEO James Flores opened up the conference, claiming that Sable oil will fuel 72 million cars per year, before Secretary Wright — who was wearing a Sable Offshore shirt with his name embroidered on it — took to the podium. He began with criticism of California Governor Gavin Newsom, accusing him of prioritizing “fashionable” policies over energy production. He emphasized that California imports foreign oil from the Middle East. Last year, 61 percent of the state’s oil was imported.

Read the full story: https://www.independent.com/2026/06/05/white-house-officials-defend-offshore-oils-restart/

Image: U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright speaks to the crowd of press, contractors, and Sable employees. | Credit: Elaine Sanders

THERE IS NO "NO KINGS" PROTEST IN SANTA BARBARA ON JUNE 14. PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD.

Unfortunately, people NOT associated with Indivisible are sharing information about a supposed Indivisible-sponsored rally and protest on June 14. This information is false.

NO KINGS and Indivisible National ARE sponsoring an online concert that date at 4:30 Pacific time. You can sign up to view that concert here: https://riseupsingout.com

There are reports that Trump Administration Cabinet members are in town today (6/5) to discuss the Sable Oil pipeline.

Several organizations quickly put together a protest for 5:30 this afternoon. If you can, meet at the CEC Hub located at 1219 State Street, Santa Barbara. Wear RED if you can.

Got question about voting, like:
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❔️ Where can I drop off my ballot?
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📲 Call us toll free at (888) 870-VOTE for help!

it's not too late! get your ballot to a polling place, elections office or a secure drop box.

As of the close of business this Thursday, 15 percent of Santa Barbara county ballots mailed out for this coming Tuesday’s statewide election had been mailed back in to be counted. That’s up from 11 percent a few days before. These numbers suggest a low turnout election. But with no reliable baseline for mail-in non-presidential primary elections, it’s hard to say. In 2022, the final countywide turnout out was 39.8 percent.⁠
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With 61 gubernatorial candidates named on the ballot this year, voters may find themselves confounded by a blizzard of ink. Depending on which statewide poll one cites, three clear front runners have managed to emerge. MAGA Republican Steve Hilton — the FOX News pundit endorsed by Donald Trump — is pretty much neck-and-neck with Democrat Xavier Becerra, a 37-year veteran of multiple elected offices. Both are pulling percentages in the low 20s, with billionaire climate change crusader Tom Steyer — who has now spent more than $213 million of his own money on the race — about six points behind.⁠
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Read more: https://www.independent.com/2026/05/29/voter-turnout-still-pretty-low-in-santa-barbara-county/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Election-2026&utm_content=Voter-Turnout&utm_gen=utmdc
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📸: Ingrid Bostrom / Santa Barbara Independent