By DAVID FLEMING

A record number of California voters are expected to turn out at the polls Nov. 4, making it more urgent than ever that businesses take a bold and unified stand on key issues critical to the continued economic growth and vitality of the region.

While much of the public spotlight has been focused on the historic presidential election, there are more than a dozen state and Los Angeles-region propositions and measures up for vote that could reshape the very future of California’s economic and political landscapes.

There is power in numbers, so for the first time the Los Angeles County Business Federation, or BizFed, has unified behind a ballot slate of the six most critical measures and issues to urge its network of more than 93,000 members and businesses across the region to join in support.

And make no mistake, there is much at stake: Traffic gridlock across the Southland is costing residents and businesses billions of dollars a year in wasted time. Political gridlock in Sacramento is costing residents and businesses precious dollars, and is stalling key reforms needed for the state’s economic health. And flawed proposed ballot-box planning measures in a sluggish economy threaten thousands of jobs and our economic prosperity and quality of life across the region.

With expectations that nearly half of all voters began casting absentee ballots as early as Oct. 6, there is no doubt many will have little fundamental understanding of the details of many of the propositions, measures and races on the ballot. Businesses have an integral role in unifying to help educate and inform their members on the real consequences of some of these issues to ensure we chart a solid course for the future.

BizFed is urging businesses to:

– Vote YES on Proposition 11.

For too long, California voters have been stymied by gerrymandered districts drawn by lawmakers that virtually ensure their re-election. It’s time to make politicians more accountable by taking the power to draw legislative district boundaries away and giving it to an independent commission that does not have a built-in conflict of interest. While Proposition 11 alone will not end all partisan power plays, it will give us a better system than we currently have.

– Vote NO on Proposition 7.

While this measure promises to significantly boost renewable and clean energy options, even environmental experts are warning it has a raft of potentially unintended consequences. Groups from the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Taxpayers Association to the Natural Resources Defense Council oppose this measure and say it could thwart clean energy projects already under way, raise electric bills for businesses in the state, stifle job creation and increase the risk of another energy crisis in California

– Vote YES on Measure R

for Los Angeles County traffic relief. Raising the sales tax a half-cent to fund badly needed transportation projects across the region is estimated to cost the average resident just $25 a year. With transportation issues and commuting times a top concern for BizFed members, it’s a small price to pay to ease the growing gridlock.

– Elect Bernard Parks

for Los Angeles County supervisor, District 2. BizFed has endorsed Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks in the race for county supervisor because he has a proven track record of voting to support issues of critical importance to area businesses, including backing business tax cuts and opposing a living wage ordinance on LAX-area hotels.

BizFed also is opposing two ballot-box planning measures that could have significant implications for business across the region. Measure T in Santa Monica would cap commercial development in what supporters say is a move to control traffic, but BizFed believes this instead will create new problems for Santa Monica by discouraging developers and lenders from doing business in the city.

Measure DD in Redondo Beach seeks to control development by requiring major land-use changes to undergo a citywide election, but it sends a discouraging message to investors faced with new mountains of paperwork and an even lengthier approval process.

Accommodating our region’s burgeoning growth does need to be addressed with top policy-making and future-forward discussions and decisions, but ballot-box planning is not the answer and in many cases has unintended consequences that ripple across interrelated economies in a region.

Successfully meeting the challenges facing our future requires all businesses, large and small, to powerfully align and advance this shared agenda for the Nov. 4 ballot, using our collective strength to help chart an economically vibrant future by making sound decisions on key issues important to businesses in L.A. County.

David Fleming is chairman of the Los Angeles County Business Federation, an alliance of existing business organizations.