Yolo County Registrar of Voters Jesse Salinas and UC Davis students discuss California primary
Salinas stressed the importance of student participation and voting in the approaching election on June 2
By KATYA OKS — city@theaggie.org
The California primary election is quickly approaching on June 2, less than five weeks away as of April 20. The election will include candidates running for federal Congressional, state legislative and state constitutional offices, and it will determine which of those individuals will be listed on the general election ballot this November.
Jesse Salinas, the Yolo County registrar of voters, briefly discussed what the June 2 primary election will include.
“There's a lot of statewide offices that are going to be on the ballot this June,” Salinas said. “For example, the governor [position] will have 62 contestants to choose from, [and] voters will choose the lieutenant governor, school superintendents, the treasurer, the controller. You're also going to have your Senate and Assembly race included on the ballot and you're going to have all your local races on there.”
Salinas also discussed the importance of voting in primary elections, as they are often overlooked in comparison to general elections.
“This June election is important, because you get to make determinations of who either wins outright, or, if it's the primary and a build-up for the November election, you get to pick who your selection is,” Salinas said. “For example, for the local [roles], like my position: if I win outright with 50% plus one vote, then there is no November election for that position.”
Young voters remain to be the age group considered to have the lowest voter turnout. In the 2024 presidential election, for example, only 47% of individuals nationwide aged 18 to 29 participated.
Jenna Ryan, a second-year psychology major, discussed her own experience talking about election matters with people her age.
“Over the past few months I have talked to many people that do not know that there are primaries coming up, much less who is running and what their policies are,” Ryan said. “Many people, especially young adults, are not registered to vote. I think people sometimes think that it is not their job, they are too busy or they are too young to need to take on the responsibility of voting.
Simran Syed, a second-year economics major, briefly discussed the importance of voting.
“I believe it’s important to vote because we have a direct say in decisions that impact our lives, including the United States economy, environmental policy, technology and healthcare,” Syed said. “As a college student, these are things that directly affect my day-to-day life and future opportunities. The rising cost of housing and education can make it harder for students to focus on their goals without financial stress.”
Salinas also said that the primary election will have local measures, which will impact housing opportunities not only for Davis locals, but for UC Davis students as well.
“There is initiative Measure V, which includes the development of the Village [Farms] project,” Salinas said. “There's a lot of students that live off campus that may want to settle down. There's a lot of people who went to school in Davis and end up living in Davis because they love the experience. So, if this is a place that they're interested in spending more than just a few years, it's definitely worth getting engaged with all these elections that are happening locally that will impact them.”
Salinas also shared the importance of not missing the May 18 deadline for voter registration, and encouraged students to vote early.
“Try not to wait for election day, per se, because you are going to wait in long lines if you do that,” Salinas said.
Salinas also discussed a pending Supreme Court decision concerning voting laws, the Watson v. Republican National Committee case, which may impact the way such processes work.
“[The] Supreme Court decision [may say] that in the future — like November's election — it's possible that election officials will have to have the ballot in their hands for the vote to count,” Salinas said. “Right now, the California law [ELEC 3020] allows for ballots to be counted as long as they were postmarked by election day and we get it within seven days afterwards. If the Supreme Court decision comes down saying ‘no,’ all those ballots have to now be in the hands of election officials by election day.
Salinas continued to explain the significance of ensuring that your ballot is dropped off on time.
“This is really important for students to start thinking about,” Salinas said. “[For example] ‘‘I need to start voting a little earlier, and if I'm going to wait, then I better drop it off either at a vote center or I better drop it off in an official drop box, because if it's within that 7-day window, my ballot may not count.”
Salinas also shared that there will be numerous voting centers located on campus for the primary election.The voting centers will include the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) meeting room and the conference center located by the UC Davis Business School; both will be available from May 30 to June 2.
Ryan shared why she believes it is important for students to participate in the election.
“Voting is such an important and easy way to make your voice heard,” Ryan said. “There is so much going on in the world right now and it is important that we show up however we can. May 18th is the last day to register to vote for the upcoming primaries: Do your research, find the candidate that represents the policies you believe in and please vote because it really could make a difference.”
Written By: Katya Oks — city@theaggie.org