San Francisco June 2012 Election Voter Guide

On June 5, San Francisco voters will head to the polls and weigh in on a whole host of important issues affecting the daily lives of people both in San Francisco and around the state.

Actually, that's not exactly true across the board. While a lot of SF voters will take to the ballot box (or drop their absentee ballots in the mail), most probably won't.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR SAN FRANCISCO JUNE 2012 ELECTION VOTER GUIDE)

"June turnouts tend to be very low, and those who do show up to vote are of a very different cohort than the general electorate," said San Jose State political science professor Larry Gerston. "Conservatives always vote, but moderates and liberals only really come out for November elections."

The problem is that measures approved or rejected in June have consequences not just for the older, whiter, more conservative slice of the electorate who tend to vote--but for everyone.

That's democracy, and as long as the controversial "If You Didn't Vote, You're Not Allowed To Complain" measure of 1996 remains something we just made up, this situation probably isn't going to seriously rectify itself any time soon.

Anyway, whichever San Franciscans do ultimately come out to vote in June's election will have to contend with four ballot measures (two state and two local) touching on everything from taxation to parks to the very way the government itself functions.

Oh yeah, and depending which party you're registered for, you'll also get to choose your presidential candidate. (Roseanne 2012!)

Check out this handy voter guide showing how different local and state political organizations are urging you to vote: