'It's more important to vote locally than nationally'

Long Beach Watchdog reporters are spread throughout the city today talking to voters on this, the last day of the 2024 election. 

Here’s some of what Long Beach voters had to say.

VETERAN’S PARK, 9:35 a.m.

Sandra Allen, 64, was wearing a blue hat that said “Kamala” in cursive writing. She said she votes in every election cycle. 

“I’m voting because it’s very important for our future,” she said. “We need to change the page on what’s happening in this world today. I have to do my part, (and now that I’ve voted) I feel like I’ve done my part. I can’t complain if I sit at home and don’t vote.”

Allen said she specifically voted for women’s rights. 

“You know, they went away with Roe vs. Wade and we should be able to say and do what we want with our own bodies,” Allen said.

Allen said the entire election cycle was “overwhelming” and stressful. But now, “I feel like I did my part and I feel great about that,” she said.

Rebecca Calderon, 25, also voted at Veteran's Park. Her focus coming into the election were statewide issues, especially Proposition 6, which aims to ban involuntary servitude from California’s constitution. She also said she supports funding schools in our communities (Measure US). 

“I like to focus on state (issues) because those are things that affect us day to day,” she said. 

She said she did not support Measure 36, which would make some drug and theft crimes to felonies. “It just criminalizes houseless people,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to further criminalize the small things that homeless people have to do to survive. You’re putting people in prison for existing rather than helping.” 

As for the presidential elections: Calderon wasn’t too concerned with the outcome of the presidential election because she said neither side has satisfactorily addressed Gaza and the Palestinian people. 

“I feel like we need a president who is standing against that and trying to stop the aid to Israel,” she said.

-Fernando Haro

LONG BEACH PYRAMID, 9:30 a.m.

Kathryn Boyd-Batstone, 31, said she generally votes every four years. This year, she voted because it’s such an important election. For her, “women’s rights” was the most important issue. 

Tracey Kesterman, 57, said she always votes, but "this one meant a lot more because I'm really tired of the racism, hate, transphobia, homophobia."

Judith Chavez Diaz de Leon, 18, voted for the first time this year. Seeing someone like her, "a woman of color," running for president, was most important to her. She also found state and local ballot measures to be confusing, requiring her to do more research.

Manual Garcia, 41, said he tries to vote in every election cycle, but thought this election was a “pivotal time” in our country’s history, and that “it’s an important time to have my voice heard.” 

He added that voting for the presidency was the most important issue for him, and to make sure the rights of LGBTQ+ people and people of color “were protected.”

-Maya-Claire Glenn

LONG BEACH SENIOR CENTER, 9:05 a.m.

More than a dozen people were lined up to vote in person Tuesday morning.

Election worker Trinity Jones, a junior at Poly High School, was greeting people and directing them to the line for voting machines or the mail ballot drop off and thanking them for voting when they were done.

It was her third day working the polls, she said, and "people have been coming and voting, but it's never been as crowded as this."

Jones is not old enough to vote yet, but she's planning to pre-register and is looking forward to her turn. "I can't wait to do this, because now I know how to do it," she said.

Deanna Mireles, 38, dropped in to the senior center to cast her ballot with her four-year-old daughter, who got an "I voted" sticker to put on her shirt.

"I was so happy to vote. I always vote in person," Mireles said. "I just am excited to hopefully get a female president."

After moving to Long Beach about two years ago, she also was eager to vote on local measures that she thinks will help beautify the city.

-Alicia Robinson

HOUGHTON PARK, 9 a.m.

Ronnie Manauma, 35, said he votes in every election. This year, when he looked over local ballot measures, he said he sought to “find the balance” between what would “help the community long-term but also considering the short-term consequences.

National issues may “get most of the headlines,” but local issues are “what really affect my life,” he said.

“It’s more important to vote locally than nationally,” he added.

“Homelessness is a big issue,” Manauma said. He said he lives just a block and a half from his kids’ elementary school, and that in just that short distance there are multiple homeless encampments.

Nationally, Manauma said his main issue was “trying to get back to some kind of common ground.” 

-Brandon Richardson

PAN AM PARK, 8:30 a.m.

Bryanna Garcia, 20, a student at Long Beach City College, voted today for the first time. “I feel really good,” she said. Garcia said she felt intimidated by the prospect of voting in person, so she filled out her ballot at home and dropped it off today. 

In terms of issues that affected her when voting, she said that nationally, she looked for candidates who expressed empathy. “If you can understand somebody else, then you can help somebody else,” she said. 

In terms of state propositions, Garcia said she paid attention to those that would benefit her future–lower housing costs, for instance. 

Garcia added that gender equality, reproductive issues and “bodily autonomy” were extremely important to her. 

Another voter, Cora Callanta, 65, also dropped off her ballot at Pan Am Park this morning. She said she votes in every election. She said she voted no on any propositions that would lead to increased taxes. 

“The economy is very important,” Callanta said. “We don’t want to be taxed any more than we’re being taxed right now.” On Measure A, even though it dealt with homelessness, which she deemed a very important issue, she voted no. Callanta said she thought that “there’s so much money already provided” for homelessness but she hasn’t seen “a lot of action or solutions” on the matter. 

Callanta added that she’ll be very glad when the election is over. 

-Brandon Richardson