Heading into Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, millions of voters across the country have already cast their ballots, whether through early voting or by sending in an absentee ballot.
Yet, even as many are drawn to cast a vote due to the contentious presidential race, the presidential election isn’t the only one motivating voters.
By mid-October, approximately 13% of U.S. voters had already cast their ballots, according to coverage by The Hill. Already, many states are predicting record voter turnout for this election cycle.
In states such as California, where a single party dominates and all predictions point to a guaranteed sweep in the presidential race, local races and ballot issues still give voters a sense that their vote counts.
Andrew Woodruff, a resident of Palm Desert, said that he plans to vote in every race on the ballot.
“I think it’s always amazing to be able to participate in the election process, and to see a peaceful transfer of power,” Woodruff told Coachella Today. “It’s one of the most amazing things, I think, that we have in our system of government.”
Still, Woodruff said he is among those voters who are drawn to have their voice heard in local politics as well.
Woodruff said that he is particularly concerned with the performance of state Rep. Chad Mayes (I-Rancho Mirage), who he voted for in 2018, and Woodruff plans to vote for the Republican challenger, Andrew Kotyuk, in this election.
“Some of his policies that he has put his name on have not been, really, something I’ve agreed with, so I’m changing my vote,” Woodruff told Coachella Today.
The other big issue for Woodruff is Proposition 22.
As an Uber driver, Woodruff said that providing a carveout for his employer in recent General Assembly legislation that made contracted employment such as his illegal, is very significant to hime.
“So, if Prop 22 were to not pass, I’d probably be out of work with Uber, because Uber would leave California at that point,” Woodruff told Coachella Today.
Alerts Sign-up