As the California primary election is a few days away, students at Grossmont College share their thoughts and opinions on the election and the most important issues to them.
The last day to vote in person or by mail for the primary election is June 2. Students share that the high cost of living, healthcare, education, housing and the overall state of the economy are a few of the most important issues to them.
“I definitely want the cost of living here to be not as high,” said Ed Torre, a student at Grossmont College.
The high cost of living in California can be especially hard for some college students as tuition, housing, food and other college-related expenses increase. In some cases, college students have to drop out because paying the bills takes priority over paying for college.
According to Cal Matters, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization, “If students worry about losing stable housing or reliable access to food, their grades and prospects for graduating suffer.”
Along with the responsibilities of being a college student, it can be challenging to balance the financial stress of trying to pay for tuition, housing, food and other expenses. Furthermore, according to Cal Matters, “A majority of California college and university students say they have experienced housing and food insecurity…”
Torre said he also wants to see healthcare become more accessible. Another student at Grossmont, Nicholas Holmgren, said the next governor should focus on improving healthcare.
Holmgren said he would want to see more funding and support for healthcare, housing and education. “I think education could use a lot of help right now,” said Holmgren.
Holmgren, who is voting in the primary election, said it was tricky choosing a candidate for governor. “I don’t like any of the candidates; none of them really feel genuine,” said Holmgren.
Voters can either vote in-person at voting centers or by mail. Voting centers and official ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on June 2. There is an official ballot drop box for mail ballots located in front of Building 10 at Grossmont College. Ballot drop boxes can also be found around San Diego neighborhoods, such as San Diego County public libraries and some grocery stores.
Another student at Grossmont, Nora Saito, said she wants to see changes to help small businesses in California and lower gas prices.“How are people to move from one area to the other if gas is $5 or $6 a gallon,” said Saito. “Gas is the big thing.”
Saito said she wants to see changes to keep big businesses in California. Saito said she also wants changes to home insurance, as many people have lost their insurance due to wildfire threats in some areas.
According to Ballotpedia, “Primary elections allow voters to determine which candidates compete in the general election…”
For this year’s primary election, California voters will vote for which governor they want to see on the ballot in the general election in November. Voters will also vote for candidates for state offices such as lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction and more. Additionally, voters will elect legislators for the U.S. House of Representatives, California Senate and California Assembly.
For more information on where to vote in-person or where to find an official ballot drop box visit: https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/voting-options.html
