Updated, 8 p.m.
The close have polls across Los Angeles County, capping a day of primaries from Pomona to the Coast, but with lackluster turnout in most places.
By 6 p.m., the line at the Torrance Cultural Art Center had grown to about 30 people, waiting to vote. The rush-hour crowd was picking up in a day across the county that saw lackluster voter turnout out in an era when voting has by many accounts never been easier.
As of mid-afternoon, turnout appeared to be skewing “a little bit lower” than voting trends in the last few elections, said Mike Sanchez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office.
With 5.6 million registered voters in the county, he said, vote center traffic stood at 123,250 by around 3 p.m., he said. Mail-in ballots received so far stood at 770,890, but more of those would be coming in over the next week and counted, as long as they were postmarked June 7.
“Right now it’s skewing a little bit lower than what we saw in the (2021 gubernatorial) recall and in the 2020 cycle,” Sanchez said.
There were still, however, “many outstanding ballots” that would be counted in the days to come, he said, with final certification due in 30 days.
At the Long Beach Veterans Memorial Park, voters are coming primarily to drop off their ballots for the 2022 Primary Elections. pic.twitter.com/lAePPglTfs
— Christina Merino (@christinam_love) June 7, 2022
Former California Assemblyman Mike Gatto, who was providing commentary on the election Tuesday, said the L.A. Mayor’s race has drawn some of the highest interest.
“Polls show that voters are furious about rising crime and rampant homelessness, which has given Rick Caruso a big path,” Gatto said. “In many ways, the race boils down to the same themes we’ve seen in Democratic politics since 2016. It’s a battle for the soul of the Democratic Party: the progressive left versus the centrist middle.”
The lack of a competitive governor’s race, long lists of candidates and some of the recent changes on how, where and when folks can vote may be contributors, though primary turnouts typically are low.
“We’ve created an acceptance of low turnouts in primaries,” said researcher Mindy Romero, founder and director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, part of USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.
The consequences, she said, are “huge,” resulting in a “small proportion of people making the decisions for everybody and setting the ballot in November for all of us.”
It’s not about apathy, she said. “It’s about voters not knowing sometimes if there is a primary and why it matters.”
Jaime Regalado, professor emeritus of political science at California State University, Los Angeles, noted that without an “exciting” race at the top — and amid some cultural firestorms that have left the electorate reeling to some degree — the low turnout could be anticipated.
Primaries, he said, have woeful participation as it is.
Addressing the wider mood of voters as a whole, Regalado said: “It’s not good.”
“I think this is a most dramatically confusing time when so many calamities seem to have befallen the nation, including a very rigid and divided population and the parties that feed into that,” Regalado said. “I don’t remember (the nation) ever being as polarized or as starkly divided as it is today.”
But that’s not to say people did not relish the chance to vote Tuesday.
At the Voter Center at Long Beach Veterans Park, Edith Duncan, 61, of Long Beach decided to vote in-person for the 2022 Primary Elections out of convenience that she lived near the voting center.
Duncan said that it is very important for people to vote because, “each vote counts.”
“A lot of people complain about a candidate, but then when you ask them if they voted, then they say no. I say, well you have nothing to complain about because you didn’t vote. Your extra vote could have counted. I could have made a difference.”
Joseph Nichels, 70, of Long Beach, voted in-person. Nichels said it is important to vote even in the primary elections because voters get to become “more acquainted with the candidates.”
Nichels was more inclined to vote because of candidates reaching out to him.
Dalia Gonzalez, 29, of Long Beach used the drop box to drop off her ballot out of convenience. Gonzalez thinks that it is important to vote in primary elections because, “it’s always good to let your voice be heard. If you don’t turn it in, there is someone who wishes they could vote and let their voice be heard. I feel like in a way I’m speaking for that community that doesn’t have the privilege to vote, so I feel like I’m in a privileged place to vote as my duty.”
Updated, 11:30 a.m.
We have our first look at Los Angeles County voters casting their ballots on Election Day.
Take a look the gallery below for some shots from Long Beach, Los Angeles and Bell.
Things appeared to start off slowly on Tuesday, June 7, with only a trickle of people strolling into the Vote Center at LA’s Union Station shortly after polls opened at 7 a.m.
At least according to images captured by Dean Musgrove, photo editor for the Southern California News Group’s LA papers:
The #polls are open a #UnionStation #LAVote #Election2022 pic.twitter.com/o3a4qtaXId
— dean musgrove (@deanmusgrove) June 7, 2022
But the Vote Center on the Cal State Long Beach campus was busier than expected Tuesday morning.
It wasn’t a mad rush to the polls, to be sure.
But there was a steady stream of voters going in and out of the Pyramid, CSULB’s gymnasium.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who is running for Congress, also made a quick pit stop there to drop off doughnuts to poll workers. He didn’t need to vote there, though — he mailed in his ballot.
The mayor wasn’t the only Garcia making the rounds on Tuesday.
His main opponent for the new 42nd Congressional District, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, voted at the Bell Community Center on Tuesday morning.
The assemblywoman, sporting her “I voted” sticker, hung around for a bit, posing for a picture with Bell Councilman Ali Saleh.
The Lincoln Heights Senior Center also saw a smattering of voters on Tuesday morning.
Of course, plenty of people are still at work. So there’s a chance things will pick up this evening.
And if you are planning to vote in person, LA Metro is offering free rides on buses and trains today. The transportation agency’s Union Station headquarters and the El Monte Station are also Vote Centers.
— Staff photography Brittany Murray and contributing photographer Howard Freshman contributed to this report.
Updated, 9:30 a.m.
Election Day is underway — and people are heading to the polls.
But how many people will actually vote in person today?
Traditionally, Election Day has been the day during campaign cycles, with folks streaming into their local polling places throughout the day, sometimes with their partners or children who just turned 18. People would walk into booths, cast their ballots and then walkout — with an “I voted” sticker displayed on their shirts.
While that remains a rite for many, recent years have seen a shift in voting habits.
The expansion of early voting, via both Vote Centers and dropboxes, has contributed to that — and the coronavirus pandemic made voting by mail the coolest trend in elections.
But this is only the fourth statewide election since the pandemic, so it may still be too soon to say whether those changes will stick.
For now, though, let’s take a look at the numbers:
During the 2018 statewide primary and general elections — the two before the pandemic hit — 55% of Los Angeles County voters cast their ballots in person, compared to about 45% doing so via mail.
Those percentages nearly flipped during the next primary: About 54% of voters cast vote-by-mail ballots while about 46% cast ballots at Vote Centers during the 2020 primary.
Of course, that election came in early March, just before the pandemic hit with full force.
But just seven months later, VBMs spiked: About 86% of all ballots cast during the general presidential election in November 2020.
That percentage was about the same during September’s gubernatorial recall election.
Interestingly, the percentage of people casting ballots at Vote Centers has been inconsistent over the last three elections.
In March 2020, for example, 73% of people voted on Election Day, according to the LA County registrar. But that dropped to 37% in November of that year, likely because of the pandemic, which took a particularly deadly toll that winter.
But in September, when Gov. Gavin Newsom successfully repelled a recall effort, 59% of in-person voters waited until Election Day.
Election Day is still nascent, with polls having only been open for a couple of hours at this point. So it may be too soon to see how busy the county’s Vote Centers will be today.
7 a.m. Tuesday, June 7
Thirteen hours.
That’s all the time that remains for voters to cast ballots and candidates for elected office to persuade their constituents to back them.
Just 13 hours until California’s statewide primary ends — and then the real fun begins: Waiting, nervously, for the returns to roll in.
That’s right: It’s Election Day in Los Angleles County and across the state, and the polls have finally opened. They close at 8 p.m.
Then, the primary will be over — and the wait to find out who won which race will begin.
And boy, are there a lot of races around LA County to keep us in suspense.
We have an embattled sheriff trying to win reelection against several qualified competitors. A congressional race that could be dubbed the “Battle of the Garcias.” Campaigns for both Los Angeles and Long Beach mayor.
Races for county supervisors, city councils, state Assembly and state Senate. Even the elections for traditional bores — like city auditor in Long Beach and city controller in Los Angeles — are interesting this year.
And yeah, we know what you’re thinking: It’s a primary. Wake me up when November comes.
But, again, this primary doesn’t lack for gems.
We have more reasons why would should be pumped for this election below.
But first, a quick programming note: Election Day usually has at least some craziness baked into it. Voting machines crash. Vote Centers get overwhelmed and lines wrap around the block. A demonstration or two might become a little too tense. A big-name national politician may swoop in for a surprise, eleventh-hour stump speech.
So we’ll update this article throughout the day with everything you need to know about Election Day.
But until then, at least know this: The polls are open. If you haven’t yet done so, you have 13 hours to vote. And then the primary is over.
Why does this election matter?
I mean, all elections matter, right?
But there are a couple of reasons this primary is particularly interesting.
First, there are a few gem elections across Los Angeles County this go around that will define power for years to come in the region. And second, other races around town Tuesday will set the table for the general election in November.
Take the L.A. mayoral race.
Voters in Los Angeles will determine executive power in the city of L.A., with their main options a Democratic star in Karen Bass and business mogul Rick Caruso.
In Long Beach, two current councilmembers are the frontrunners in that city’s mayoral race. And if current Mayor Robert Garcia has shown anything, it’s that leading Long Beach can be a springboard to bigger things: He is, after all, one of two frontrunners in the race for the 42nd Congressional District — with Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia being the other.
Two Board of Supervisors seats are up for grabs, one of which is guaranteed to have a new face/voice representing 2 million people.
And in Pasadena, two competitive City Council races will usher in a new chapter for Crown City governance.
These races — at the city and county level — could yield outright winners on Tuesday. In other words, if anybody gets a majority of the vote, they win.
Otherwise, in statewide races, as well as the battles for U.S. Congress, state Senate and Assembly, the top two will face off in November.
And those races, especially on the federal level, could have implications for which party has political power over the next two years — and how strong that power is.
That calculus is assured in the 27th Congressional District in northern L.A. County, where Democrats are trying to flip a currently GOP-held seat. And there are scores of other races in districts retooled this year by the arduous process called redistricting.
And that’s just a quick summary. We’ve covered a lot more than these races. We invite you to check out our archive of stories online for the L.A. Daily News, Daily Breeze, The Press-Telegram, the Pasadena Star-News, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Whittier Daily News, where we’ve endeavored to lay out the many races unfolding today.
But do I even have time to vote?
You sure do!
While early voting has been happening for weeks, today — all day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. — you’ve got a chance to vote.
But am I eligible?
You can vote if you are:
- A United States citizen and a resident of California.
- 18 years old or older on Election Day.
- Not currently in state or federal prison.
- Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.
If you received a ballot, you’re likely registered, but if you’re not sure, check voterstatus.sos.ca.gov.
To register or re-register, go here: registertovote.ca.gov.
But if you missed the online deadline, back in May, you’ve still got a chance to register at a Vote Center on the same day you vote: sos.ca.gov.
How do I vote?
I knew that would be your next question.
But good news, your option for voting are about as varied as this year’s candiddates. You can:
- Vote by mail.
- Vote by ballot drop off.
- Vote in person.
If you’re a registered voter, you’ve likely received your ballot. Now, you just fill it out, sign it and mail it.
Now, at this point, voting by mail will have a definite “filing taxes on April 15” vibe to it. But as long as the ballot is postmarked by Election Day — today — you’re golden. The county registrar will process, verify and count the ballot.
Just place your voted ballot card(s) inside the Official Return Envelope, securely seal the Official Return Envelope, sign and date the back of the Official Return Envelope and drop it in the mail. No postage is necessary.
If you’d rather drop it off, after you do those steps — just swing by any of the secured drop boxes throughout the county. You could also do the same at a Vote Center.
But be warned: the drop boxes will close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, as do the Vote Centers.
You can find a map of countywide drop boxes here: locator.lavote.gov/locations.
How do I vote in person?
Do you mean where do you vote in person?
Uh, sure.
Good. Because showing you how ot vote is more of a hands-on teaching experience and the registrar won’t give us any of their voting machines.
But “where to vote” is an easy one.
An additional 522 Vote Centers opened throughout Los Angeles County during the second weekend of early voting for Tuesday’s primary, officials said.
So now, a total of 642 Vote Centers have been open for days for safe, in-person voting, or to return a completed vote-by-mail ballot, County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan has announced.
To reiterate, they will remain open until 8 p.m.
You can not only vote in person at those centers, but you can also drop off your ballots, and register to vote there.
A map of vote center locations and whether they are open on Election Day, can be found at bit.ly/3z7mfw7.
You can also call for more information.
So these Vote Centers are kind of a one-stop shop.
Yep. They are the corner stores of elections.
Registered voters who were sent vote-by-mail ballots can return their ballots by mail by Tuesday, drop them off at a vote center or in an official vote-by-mail drop box location, which can be found at locator.lavote.gov/locations/vbm.
Can I track my vote?
Depends how fast your mail carrier is.
Just kidding.
Yes, you can.
The L.A. County Registrar has a digital system through which you can receive personalized text messages, emails and automated voice messages on the journey of your Vote by Mail ballot to be counted.
You can subscribe to Where’s My Ballot to receive those notifications. It’s a free service to all registered voters. You can subscribe here: california.ballottrax.net/voter.
Also, if you just want to make sure your vote was counted, the registrar has tool to make sure your ballot was counted. Go here, if you want to check it out: lavote.gov/av_inquiry.
I think I’m ready. Just one more question.
Go for it.
I should definitely vote, right?
Yes, you should. ASAP.
And once you do, come back here — and see what’s going on around LA County on Election Day.
Staff writers Donna Littlejohn, Christina Merino, Ryan Carter and Chris Haire contributed to this report.
