Across many parts of Orange County, voters passionate on both sides of Prop 50 waited in long lines at packed voting centers to cast their ballots Tuesday.
The special election on whether the state of California should have new, partisan congressional maps drawn up for the next three elections was a question that voters on both sides wanted to ensure their voices were heard – no matter the outcome.
Backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats across the country, the changes to congressional districts are meant to give the state’s Democratic Party a boost in the upcoming midterm elections, a counter to similar gerrymandering efforts in Republican-led states at the behest of President Donald Trump.
On Tuesday, voters turned out in droves, filling the voting centers. Some who got their ballots said they were surprised when their usual neighborhood vote center wasn’t listed. However, because this was a special election, the Registrar of Voters stated that only 66 vote centers were open, compared to 124 centers in a presidential election year.
For some, like Vanessa Manzano, who stood in a long line outside the Laguna Niguel City Hall, Tuesday’s opportunity to cast her ballot was as important as having a presidential candidate on the ballot. It was her first election and one she was not going to miss.
“I want to be here for people who don’t have a voice to vote,” the 20-year-old said, adding that she comes from an immigrant family and she is the first of her generation to vote. “I’m representing my family who would want to vote ‘yes,’” she said. “It’s important for me to be able to do this. It’s kind of emotional.”
For Dawn Thomas, also from Laguna Niguel, the election was also pivotal. She was passionate about voting against redistricting.
“It’s a way to further the Democrat agenda instead of being fair,” she said, adding that in the ballot’s explainer on the pros and cons, she was even more peeved that the redistricting question arose in response to what the state of Texas did.
“Since when does our state draft legislation in response to another state?” she said. “That’s outrageous.”
Dru and Paul Barios also made sure to get to the vote center, despite the lines stretching to the parking lot and a wait of at least 30 minutes. The couple, who grew up in Downey and Redondo Beach, respectively, was adamant about exercising their right to vote.
“He was about to turn around,” Dru Barios said of her husband when he saw the long line. “I was, ‘No!’ This is super important.”
“I can’t argue a point if I don’t vote,” the sixth-grade teacher said. “I did what I needed to do.”
Paul Barios said most of the people in line in Laguna Niguel waited quietly for their turn, and there wasn’t a lot of talking. He, too, emphasized the importance of voting, adding, “You’re a bad American if you don’t,” echoing his wife’s passion.
Earlier in the day, Sophia Cao, 19, also a first-time voter, waited to cast her vote at the UC Irvine Gateway Study Center. Lines had been building there, too. But she still had to register to vote on Tuesday and then cast a provisional ballot, all before her next class started.
“I come from a family that doesn’t really vote that much,” the Garden Grove resident said. “I’m hoping that coming in person would give me a little more guidance. I’m confused.”
Byran Martinez, 19, was also there. His vote only set him back 10 minutes; he was registered and ready to go.
“I got to do my part, regardless of where I am. Every vote counts,” said the South Gate resident.
What gave him extra motivation, he said, was seeing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Los Angeles throughout the summer.
“This isn’t an average proposition,” said Todd Breaux as he waited with his wife and daughter in a growing line in Laguna Niguel. “It’s a policy change, that’s why it’s sparking the turnout.”
“It’s important to vote because we have the freedom to do so,” he added. “People died for this right.”