The general election is officially less than one week away. Whether you’re one of the nearly eight million Gen Z constituents eligible to vote in the general election for the first time or someone who has decided to vote for the first time, casting your ballot can seem overwhelming. With this guide, Dímelo hopes to empower those who can vote to do so.
What is included in the general election ballot?
In your ballot, you can expect to find three different sections to vote in party-nominated offices, voter-nominated offices, and local offices.
Party-nominated offices include options for the president and vice president of the United States. Regardless of if you are registered for a specific party, you may vote for whomever you want, including a written-in candidate.
Voter-nominated offices include options for United States senators, United States representatives, state senators, and state assembly members. Written-in candidates are not permitted.
Local offices include options for district attorneys, superior court judges, and local districts or city contests. County measures may also be represented in your ballot.
Depending on where you are registered to vote for this election, you may be voting for local politics in your hometown or in Los Angeles.
How do I figure out who to vote for?
Figuring out who to vote for or if you should vote yes on a measure can be extremely confusing. Although a good place to start is reading the exact language of measures the language may be intentionally misleading.
Going directly to the candidates’ websites or websites for or against state measures is a good first step. The language may seem confusing, and if that’s the case it may be helpful to look at who is endorsing the candidate or measure. Websites typically include this information, and if people you feel align with your values are in favor of something, you may be as well.
For information on candidates and measures, Ballotpedia can be an extremely useful resource.
Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization unaffiliated with any political party that aims to educate, according to their website. The organization provides clear explanations of what a candidate’s past political history is (if any) and includes biographies as well as links to their campaigns and spending habits if available. Clear explanations of state measures are also available.
Another helpful resource may be a voter guide belonging to an organization you trust. Voter guides are guides that have been compiled by individuals/organizations of a particular demographic. If you’re voting in Los Angeles or Orange County, LAist recently published a list of relevant voter guides. CalMatters has a voter guide for California similar in format to Ballotpedia completely in Spanish.
If you’re not voting in California or Los Angeles, guides.vote provides nonpartisan voter guides in English and Spanish. Guides.vote doesn’t have guides for all 50 states but can help provide relevant information nationwide.
When looking for district-specific information, looking up the city you’re voting in and the words “voter guide” can assist you in finding helpful resources, many of which may be in Spanish.
Where/how do I vote?
If you requested a mail-in ballot the deadlines by which you need to mail it vary by state. If you’re voting via mail-in ballot in California, you can place your ballot in a drop-off box from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.
For more information on mail-in ballots check out this Annenberg Media article.
If you’re voting in person, vote centers are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day. The closest voting centers to the University of Southern California University Park Campus are the Ahmanson Senior Center on Bill Robertson Lane and Hotel Figueroa on South Figueroa Street.
If you’re voting in L.A. County, you can find voting centers near you here.
Can I take time off to vote?
Yes. In the state of California, employers are required to allow employees time off to vote. If you won’t have enough time to vote during your non-working hours (ex. your shift would not allow you to go to a voting center before the polls close) you may get up to a maximum of two paid hours off. If you plan on doing this, you should notify your employer beforehand.
How do I request voting materials in a language other than English?
If you’re in Los Angeles you can request voting materials in up to 18 languages. In order to do so you can call the Multilingual Services Section of L.A. County 800-815-2666 and select option three. You can also visit the county’s multilingual services program website here.
How are Latine voters at USC feeling?
“Growing up my dad was very politically involved and he always was keeping up with what was going on on the polls and whatnot but he couldn’t vote because he wasn’t a citizen,” said David Sosa, a journalism student at USC. Sosa is a first-time voter and said he doesn’t take his right to vote for granted.
“It feels like I’m actually fulfilling my responsibilities as a citizen and using full advantage of what I’m given as a citizen,” said Sosa.
Yhanellie Mendoza, a student majoring in human biology and minoring in Latinx news media is voting for the second time in a presidential election. Mendoza said she’s paying the most amount of attention to “immigration and the war in Gaza.” She said she believes it’s necessary to stay informed when voting.
“I think it’s important for the Latino community to come out to elections because we are the biggest minority group that there is and we will have a lot of sway and say in this election,” said Mendoza.
In 2019 the Center for Migration Studies estimated that of the over 21 million immigrants of Hispanic origin who live in the United States, seven million of them are undocumented. Residents of Puerto Rico are also ineligible to vote. According to the Pew Research Center, Latino voters make up approximately 14.7% of all eligible voters.
If you are eligible to vote, Dímelo encourages you to do so. Not only for yourself but for all members of our community. We hope these resources help make the process easier.