On June 2, California voters will be electing the candidates for federal and state offices. By then, seniors at Irvington who have reached the age of 18 will be eligible to vote for the first time.
For those who have not yet registered, they can register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov. The following key dates should be kept in mind:
- May 4: Begins the mailing of the June 2 primary ballots
- May 5: Secure ballot drop-off boxes open
- May 18: Last day for online registration for primary election
- After May 18 voters must do same-day voter registration or request a ballot in person at the county election office or polling location.
- May 23: Early in-person voting opens at voting centers in all Voter’s Choice Act countries
- May 30: In-person early voting locations in CA open
- June 2: Primary elections
Voting by mail or dropping off a ballot in an approved drop box is an effective and safe way to vote. Since mail-in ballots are only sent to voters whose identity and address are verified by county officials, there is no need to worry about not receiving your ballot. If there happens to be a mistake in sending out the ballots, the vote will only be counted once officials verify the voter’s signature.
In this year’s ballot, all 80 California assembly seats and 20 senate seats are up for reelection, making this year’s election especially important. As for the candidates running for California governor for the November election, 8 Democrats and 2 Republicans have filed paperwork for the June 2 primary ballot.
The Voice reached out to some seniors to voice their thoughts on voting in the upcoming election.
Michelle Nguyen (12): “I was able to register to vote through a program that the student government at Irvington runs called the Youth Voter Registration. Young people are one of the age groups that are least likely to vote. But I think it’s really important, and I think that especially in local politics like elections, they can have a say and impact daily life more than they realize.”
Akshay Hariharan (12): “I’m part of a lot of civic activities, which entail a lot of research into policymaking and candidates in general. And it’s really fun to actually turn those things that we’ve been learning about, from Quest and WIP or from my other extracurriculars into, a vote for the ballot — especially since there are a lot of people telling us right now that youth are very disillusioned and are not going to vote. So, I’m just excited to be like, ‘I can vote. I can make change. I can write my name.’
I plan on voting in the upcoming primary election. I think registering to vote is really good. There’s no reason not to register to vote; you can always choose not to vote later. You can make that decision later, but registering to vote lets you have the ability to vote and make a difference, even if you don’t think that’s important right now.”
Michelle Lee (12): “I think voting is important because, as a California resident, everything or anyone we elect directly influences the lives we end up living and how our quality of life is. So, I think it’s important to choose who we want, or else we’ll just be unhappy with the policies. And the ability to vote is such a privilege that we get here in the United States, so I think it’s important to exercise that. You’re directly responsible for how you want to live your life and how you want the government to be run, so if you don’t vote, you can’t blame anyone but yourself.”
