California’s primary is coming to a close — with voters casting their final ballots to decide on the state’s future.
Their long list of choices included an unusually close governor’s race and consequential local races, including the fight to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat.
But on Tuesday morning, polling places across the Bay Area were quiet, reflecting some of the uneasiness of constituents. At North and West Oakland satellite locations, poll workers said turnout was lower than expected.
“This is probably the least hopeful I felt in an election, to be completely frank,” said Oakland resident Josh Adams, 35, who said he’s most concerned about the governor’s race. Adams, whose partner is an educator, said he researched the candidates’ policies to see who would support funding public education and infrastructure.
“I don’t know if there is a right answer — someone who scratches all of the itches of the state,” Adams said, after voting at the Oakland Main Branch Library. “I hope I made the right decision.”
KQED spoke with voters at multiple Bay Area polling places to hear from them about the Election Day vibes. Those who did turn out said they were invested in the results.
Over in San Francisco, Chiraag Hebbar, 26, cast his ballot at City Hall.
“With both Gavin Newsom and Pelosi leaving, I think it’s a critical election,” he said.
Big money has poured into campaigns, with major financial backing from tech and oil for Xavier Becerra, the Democratic frontrunner, and for Saikat Chakrabarti, who is vying against state Sen. Scott Wiener and Supervisor Connie Chan for Pelosi’s seat.
“There’s a lot of money getting thrown around,” said Gwynn Beasley, a Lower Haight resident, who said she votes at City Hall to feel more “civic.” Beasley said she saw a lot of major donors “putting money behind candidates they don’t necessarily support to [get others] out of the race.”
Widya Batin, a 27-year-old Fillmore resident, said the political moment can feel discouraging, so she wanted to vote in the primary to exercise her civil right as a citizen.
“We don’t really get educated on how our vote works or how the political system works. That’s why I get discouraged. If you don’t really go into the measures or candidates yourself, you can easily be caught up in the ads they run before the election.”
Batin said she will vote for candidates that she’s seen in action, but “for the propositions, I kind of rely on the homies and what we are sharing around in our groups.”
Democracy was in full swing down in East San José, where the Dr. Robert Cruz Alum Rock Library had a steady stream of voters. Every few minutes, someone walked through the double doors to drop off a ballot or vote in person, though most came to drop off.
No two voters looked alike — old, young, Hispanic, Black, Asian, white — pushing strollers, holding a partner’s hand, or pulling their dog’s leash. Staff who have worked at the location for years say this is the busiest voting site in the area.
Melissa Martinez came to drop off both her and her sister’s ballots. Martinez, born and raised in the South Bay, started voting as soon as she turned 18. A child of immigrants, she said she’s been politically active since high school.
“I just always knew that if I wanted to keep them safe, in some ways, it depends on how I voted and who I voted for,” Martinez said.
San José resident Pam Payton, whose dad was planning commissioner for the city, and who was part of the campaign to elect Norman Mineta as mayor, said voting has been ingrained in her family.
“If you want to make a change, it’s not going to happen if you don’t vote.”
For Payton, the economy was top of mind.
“California is a hot mess right now,” she said, laughing. “I don’t know that there’s anything the potential governors will do to lower the price of gas.”
She described going to the store and buying one bag of groceries without meat, and spending $80. “That’s crazy,” Payton said.
Still, Payton did her patriotic duty. For those who didn’t vote Tuesday, Payton had simple advice: “Don’t complain.”
KQED’s Ayah Ali-Ahmad, Desmond Meagley, Paulo Sibulo and Elize Manoukian contributed to this report.
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