PHOTOS: On a dark and stormy day, Los Angeles votes for a mayor
From the Grove to Hollywood Palladium to USC: Angelenos eagerly await electoral results. USC Annenberg photographers spread across Los Angeles to follow the electoral results live.
USC students and faculty panelists discuss electoral results as they unfold live at an election night watch party co-hosted by USC Annenberg and USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future. (Photo by Tomoki Chien)
Rain poured down on Angelenos as they headed to the polls to vote for their next mayor. The race tightened in recent weeks, with Congresswoman Karen Bass clinging to a narrow lead in most polls over Rick Caruso, a billionaire L.A. native.
Both Caruso and Bass share connections to USC. Bass got her master’s degree in social work from the USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, and Caruso received his Bachelor of Science in public policy from the university in 1980. Caruso served on the USC Board of Trustees starting in 2018, and stepped down as the chair earlier this year days after announcing his candidacy for the mayoral race.
Caruso spent more than $85 million of his own money, far outpacing Bass, who took in nearly three-quarters of her $12 million war chest from donations.
As votes come in from the 637 polling locations across L.A. County, they will be counted at the centralized Tally Operation Center in Norwalk, just southeast of downtown L.A. Bass is hosting her campaign watch party at the Hollywood Palladium while Caruso is holding his watch party at The Grove.
The USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future and the Annenberg Media Center put on a watch party, hosted by Bob Shrum and Christina Bellantoni, offering students, “THE place to watch the election results at USC,” declared USC Annenberg’s website.
Annenberg Media photographers, stationed across Los Angeles, photographed every step of the process.
This is a photo journal of Election Day in Los Angeles.
4:07 p.m.
A student drops his vote into the ballot box at the USC Village while weathering the rain on Election Day before the polls close. (Photo by Michael Chow)
6:50 p.m.
Students watch CNN's live election coverage in the Wallis Annenberg Hall forum. (Photo by Tomoki Chien)
7:30 p.m.
A steady stream of voters cast their ballots at the County Clerk’s office in Norfolk, CA. (Photo by Jason Goode) Rick Caruso arrives at his watch party on the 8th floor of the parking garage at the Grove. (Photo by Yannick Peterhans)
8:00 p.m.
Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas sings “Volver” to open Karen Bass’ watch party at the Hollywood Palladium. (Photo by Philip Salata) Senator Alex Padilla, flanked by his family, addresses the crowd at the Karen Bass watch party at the Hollywood Palladium. He was declared the winner of the California Senate seat. (Photo by Philip Salata)
Ira Reiner, the former District Attorney for Los Angeles County, gives his opinion on California Proposition 30 to the audience at the USC watch party at Wallis Annenberg Hall. (Photo by Tony Fajardo)
8:30 p.m.
Rogelio Munez and his daughter sit and eat pizza from Chill Since ‘93 at the Caruso watch party. (Photo by Yannick Peterhans)
8:50 p.m.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff speaks about the January 6th insurrection and the threats to democracy today at the Bass watch party. (Photo by Philip Salata)
9:10 p.m.
Tally workers chat while waiting to count ballots at the Tally Operations Center. (Photo by Jason Goode)
9:30 p.m.
Bass supporters watch as Caruso edges forward in the mayoral race at the Bass watch party. (Photo by Philip Salata)
9:47 p.m.
Workers from Chill Since ’93 prepare pizza for guests of the Caruso watch party. An estimated 60 boxes of pizza were brought up to the party for guests to eat, according to Domenico Long, the chef at Chill Since ’93. (Photo by Yannick Peterhans)
10:05 p.m.
A student claps at the Wallis Annenberg Hall foyer as Democratic candidates flip Senate seats. (Photo by Tomoki Chien)
10:07 p.m.
The race for L.A. mayor gets closer as Bass and Caruso are within a 2,000 vote margin. (Photo by Yannick Peterhans)
10:15 p.m.
Karen Bass’ family member holds a sign to show her support of Bass at the podium. (Photo by Philip Salata) Bass speaks to how her campaign is inclusive and representative of all the people of Los Angeles. (Photo by Philip Salata) Bass dances her way off stage after addressing the audience. (Photo by Philip Salata)
11:10 p.m.
Caruso speaks to a crowd of supporters as they chant, “Rick, Rick, Rick!” (Photo by Yannick Peterhans) Balloons fall on the crowd as Caruso finishes his speech. (Photo by Yannick Peterhans)
11:20 p.m.
While the USC watch party has ended and the lights of the Wallis Annenberg Hall have turned off, Ash Alguneh and Nolan McDowell-Lesesne, sophomores studying international relations and political science respectively, are still watching the electoral results trickle in. When asked why are they still following the results, they simply replied, "I think our majors speak for themselves." (Photo by Michael Chow)
