A proctor watches over people who are voting at LBCC’s voting center on Tuesday during California’s primary election. (Maximus Rago)
Voter turnout for Tuesday’s primary election appeared lacking, with the majority voter position reflecting disinterest in the current candidates, as less and less people, including LBCC students, are being driven to the voting booths.
This election follows the 2022 primary which only received 117,369 votes in Long Beach, a city that had 271,243 registered voters, which showed that fewer than half of voters show up in non-presidential years according to the office of the city clerk.
The broad sense of apathy among students seems to come from feelings of their choices in elections not actually mattering all that much and feelings that candidates will not actually do anything to improve their lives.
“Not excited for the candidates. I remembered when I looked one day, maybe a few weeks and they all seemed similar, and I don’t think there’s going to be much change,” said LBCC student Teddy Cruz.
This sentiment was shared by several students, who felt that a lack of advocacy was the main reason for a general lack of interest in the current election and for not going out and voting.
“Now, from all the propaganda I’ve been seeing, exposing one another on their tax cuts and them using it for their own means instead of the cities or our state. I decided not to vote for any of the governor (candidates),” another LBCC student, Miloh Chavez, said.
Despite several students not exercising their right to vote, the general sentiment remained that voting is important and the choice not to participate was motivated by a lack of interest in the current choices.
Students also generally felt that their concerns are continuously being ignored by the current running candidates in the different elections, prompting them to not participate out of protest.
The primary issue concerning students was homelessness and budgetary concerns, with everyone who was interviewed citing them as their primary issues.
“I’m more concerned with housing here. Also like the prices are being raised. Homelessness, it’s been a recurring problem for the whole area, especially around California, and all of the US,” said Justis Jackson, an LBCC student.
Some students took this sentiment even further, sharing feelings that struggling citizens have not received the proper support that they need, have been unfairly treated, and have been kept in the situations they are in.
Latasha Williams shared the following sentiment, “They’re being robbed of resources and left and abandoned and neglected. There is no strong leader to advocate for them. So they are just left, you know, in the streets.”
Unless that advocacy or strong leader materializes before the election on November 2, these sentiments indicate that LBCC students’ apathy will persist.
As of June 3, the California governor’s race is led by Republican Steve Hilton at 27.8% and Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra at 25.4%.
Current LA mayor Karen Bass currently leads for her re-election and will run against Reality TV personality Spencer Pratt come November 3.
