A new Field Poll on Proposition 8, which proposes to limit marriage only between a man and a woman in California, says that it will fail by a slim majority (51%). In 2000, a similar proposition denying gay marriage was approved by 61%. Yes on Prop 8 people say the poll understates the support to ban gay marriage in the state (and others are calling them out their rebuttal). A May 23 poll by the......

Cupcakes from West Hollywood's Wedding Park Day (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist Remember when the IRS investigated All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena for a sermon that they thought might void the church's tax-exempt status due to political endorsement during the 2004 Presidential Race (it was a What Would Jesus Do if he were Bush or Kerry on the war)? Now churches in California, including one nonprofit, are using their pulpits......

As Californians consider whether or not to vote on the legalization of marijuana this November, a study conducted at a Johns Hopkins University lab is now launching a look into the potential health and wellness benefits of illegal mushrooms, too. A study participant who tried these so-called "magic mushrooms" left her experience with insight that may now provide a scientific explanation of the existence of hippies: ...a business consultant named Dede Osborn took a......

Metro put a press release this morning stating that a commissioned study shows 73% of LA County voters would pass the half-cent sales tax increase if the election were held today. To pass, it would need a two-thirds vote. But first, to get the increase on the ballot in November, it must be passed by Metro's Board this week as well as the State Senate.......

"The city of Palm Springs invites same-sex couples to come to our welcoming community and experience this historic opportunity," writes Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet on a website encouraging couples to marry in the desert city. "We are prepared to help you with all your wedding needs and embrace you on this, this most wonderful day of your life." Pougnet, two Palm Springs city council members and former Mayor Rod Oden, all openly gay, have......

Photo by bobster1985 via Flickr After announcing earlier this week that same-sex marriages could begin on June 14, a memo went out today from California's Office of Vital Records saying that the new start-date is Tuesday, June 17. The date is after a "key deadline," in which the state's supreme court has to make a decision on whether or not to delay the ruling until the November election when voters can decide to amend......

Update, 5/29/08: The date has been changed to June 17. Read the full story hereIt's official. Starting on Saturday, June 14th, gay marriages can be officiated. "Stephen Weir, who heads the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, said he was told by the Office of Vital Records that clerks would be authorized to hand out marriage licenses as soon as that date - exactly 30 days after the California Supreme Court ruled that gay......

Last week we created a map showing primary election results by county in California and today we'll break it down further. Below is a map with a headshot of the winning candidate in the center (more or less) of each district. Click on each placemarker to see that district's results. View Larger Map Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama by a similar margin in LA County as she did in the state, and by significantly greater......

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Go on, grab a cup of coffee, meet those neighbors you never knew, and vote. Nearly 9 million voters are predicted to hit the polls today in California. A record. Don't miss out on the party. Later on, make the most of this Super FAT Tuesday at our party. In a hurry? Review a sample ballot. You can also text your picks to your e-mail......

Caption this in the comments section. All photos by Kelly C. Gallamore for LAist Stevie Wonder was the first of two surprises led to the Pauley Pavilion floor by Michelle Obama at yesterday's Get Out the Vote for Obama Rally. After a short explanation of his history as a Clinton supporter turned Obama believer, Wonder led the crowd in a rather difficult vocal exercise based on the candidate's name (see video below). Caption #2......

Obama and Clinton onstage last week in Hollywood | Photo © 2008 by Jonathan Alcorn (sundogg) via LAist Featured Photos Pool Everyone's a songwriter when there's something big going on. YouTube is busting at the seams with song parodies of candidates and campaigns; some mourn for better choices, some simply sing their support, and some poke lots of fun at the candidates' foibles. Recently a couple of professional songwriters were asked by Weekend America......

From Los Angeles to the deepest parts of the universe, it's nothing but nonstop presidential talk. But here in California -- the land of liberal legislatin' -- there are SEVEN statewide ballot propositions to consider once you step inside the voting booth tomorrow. One L.A. City prop is also on the ballot. Just so happens, LAist has your back. You give us ten minutes, we'll keep you from hastily punching "yes" or "no" on......

LA cyclists are joining LA City Council President Eric Garcetti on a bike ride in support of Obama. Cyclists will gather at the Eco-Village on February 2 at 11:00 am for a leisurely ride through Silver Lake and ending in Elysian Valley with snacks and the opportunity to help with some campaign phone banking. Cyclists in search of Leadership have to search hard to find Presidential hopefuls who support cycling and walking as transportation solutions......

Barack is on a roll. He doubled Hillary Clinton's vote count in South Carolina's primary election yesterday. And Caroline Kennedy's op-ed (titled "A President Like My Father") in this morning's New York Times is adding fuel to the fire as pundits across the ideological spectrum ponder the B.O. mo-mo like they haven't since Iowa, a long three-and-a-half weeks ago. Now it's all about February 5. Consider your feelings about the primary today and think about......

If you plan on participating in either the Republican or Democratic primary on February 5th (in two weeks) you MUST register to vote by midnight tonight. Don't panic, you don't have to rush out into traffic, just make sure your application (download it here) is postmarked by midnight. Dig the last-minute madness? You can drop your application in person at the LA County Clerk's desk in Norwalk (map) by midnight (see the OC Registrar [map]......

What in the world is a caucus? Associated Press does a quick Q&ALooking for a caucus update with a nifty tracker on the primary elections, check out Campaign 2008 on the LA TimesSo why New Hampshire and Iowa and what happens next? The Times Online, explains it best.How do the candidates make it work for them? Iowa has the breakdown.Even Rolling Stones is getting in on the election opinion game with their Five Not......

While the presidential election is the sexy supermodel on the Feb. 5 California Primary ballot, there are three important propositions asking you to say Yes or No when you walk in to that polling place or mail in your vote. Winston Churchill once said, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." Therefore, in the spirit of voting, let us take some time to open your minds to the wonderful world......

The Downtown News is out with its annual Best of list. In the spirit of the awesome map that appears each week in the Downtown News, we're mapping the DTNews Editors' "Best of" picks. Play along by clicking on any placemarker below and adding your rating/photos/comments. MapKit.display();......

Since I was hired to work on one of the LAUSD campaigns as an e-mail marketer, I have been keeping my mouth shut on this blog about it. And I am not going to sit here and tell you why you should vote for my candidate in the runoff election or am I really going to talk about "life on the e-campaign trail," but I am going to tell you that this election was......