On the final day counting down to the U.S. election, voters who have not yet cast their ballots can take advantage of the voting opportunities on Election Day, November 5th. As of now, over 8 million voters in California have already voted early.
According to the California Secretary of State’s office as of the afternoon of November 4th, over 7.5 million people have voted by mail-in ballots, while more than 500,000 have voted in person at early voting locations.
With Election Day approaching, polling stations across California are fully operational. For example, all 648 polling stations in Los Angeles County are open from 10 AM to 7 PM daily, and on Election Day, they will be open from 7 AM to 8 PM. Voters can find the nearest polling station online at locator.lavote.gov and can vote at any polling station in the county.
Voters in different regions such as Orange County, Riverside County, and San Diego County can find their polling stations on their respective county registrar’s office website. Voters using mail-in ballots must remember to sign the designated envelope, or else the ballot will be voided.
Early on November 4th (Monday), polling stations in many areas were bustling with voters rushing to cast their votes. Western voter Leon and his wife told reporters that this election is of great significance as it will determine the future fate of the United States.
“We are really worried because if the wrong person is elected, America will truly be ruined. So we came early to vote in advance,” Leon said. “We hope for lower energy prices. Currently, oil prices and food prices are too high, and the crime rate is too alarming. All of this is affecting our daily lives.”
Leon’s wife added, “Compared to four years ago, the current living environment is simply abysmal. We just need to think with common sense and vote. Everyone just wants a normal life, we don’t need extreme politics.”
Despite mobility challenges, Mexican-American voter Rita Kantrim insisted on going to the polling station with her family to vote in person.
“I really hope to see a decrease in the crime rate. Also, I feel that the current economy is very poor. My life is limited, but I am genuinely worried about the next generation, the grandchildren,” she said. “So I came out to vote, I hope the children have a good living environment. I hope America can return to tradition, return to normalcy, as the current America is on a wrong path.”
A supervisor at a polling station in Temple City, a Chinese area in Los Angeles, said, “Starting from last Saturday, the voters coming to vote have been continuous, much more than the midterm elections in March.”
The ballot this time is lengthy, including the presidential race, state ballot propositions, U.S. senators, federal representatives in each resident’s district, state senators, state assembly members, county judges, and city officials.
According to the schedule set by the Secretary of State, after 8 PM on November 5th, all polling stations in California will close, and county registrar staff will begin counting the votes, but there will be no final results that night. The Secretary of State will officially announce the final election results online on December 13th.