Oct. 18 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 2 general election. Tables with registration cards and absentee ballots have been set up in front of The Arbor and the University Center. They will remain open between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Ballots and registration forms will also be available at the Office of Student Life (OSL), the Associated Students office, and the campus post office among other places, said organizer Barbra Ortiz, special projects coordinator for OSL.

Classroom announcements related to getting out the vote in November may be made with the instructor’s permission, she said.

Starting today, Oct. 4, absentee ballots can be cast by mail until Oct. 26. After that, an absentee ballot could be hand-delivered to the Santa Barbara County Clerk’s office or to any polling place in the county until 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. The clerk’s voting Q&A Web site is <www.sb-democracy.com> and callers may ask questions at (805) 568-2200.

Among the 16 state initiatives to be decided in the general election are competing efforts to rewrite the rules governing gambling in California—Propositions 68 and 70—and Prop. 72, which would compel employers of a certain size to offer health care insurance.

Also of interest are the three remaining debates between the major parties’ presidential and vice presidential candidates. All debates begin at 6 p.m. local time and will be carried on most major networks. Tuesday, Oct. 5, is set for the vice presidential contenders; the presidential candidates meet again on Friday, Oct. 8, and on Oct. 13.