With California’s primary election just hours away, a record number of residents are registered to vote, though many are still deciding whether — and for whom — they will cast a ballot.
According to the California Secretary of State’s Office, the state has reached a new high of 23.1 million registered voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. Despite the record registration numbers, a recent poll from the University of California, Berkeley found that about 7% of likely voters in the gubernatorial race remain undecided.
The survey suggests the number of undecided voters has narrowed significantly in recent weeks, dropping by roughly half from earlier polling.
For some voters, the challenge is not deciding whom to support, but finding the time to vote.
“Tomorrow’s the day — I am making a plan to vote, yes!” said Emma Flickinger, who said she had already completed her ballot and was preparing to submit it.
Flickinger encouraged others to participate in the election.
“If people haven’t already made a plan to vote, I certainly hope they do decide to by the end of today, tomorrow,” she said.
California’s primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the November general election, regardless of party affiliation.
San Diego residents Sandra Cmaylo and Drew Sliger said they planned to vote but had not yet finalized their ballots.
“I think it’s just a timing thing. Everyone’s balancing a lot, busy work-life balance,” Cmaylo said.
“We’re kind of ‘last-minute Nellies,’ too, just as people,” she added.
While some voters are still making their decisions, others have chosen not to participate in the primary election.
“I’m not voting, no,” said Mark Khalil.
Khalil said he typically votes in presidential elections but does not plan to cast a ballot in this contest.
“I feel like my vote doesn’t matter in California, because I don’t vote a certain way, the state always leans,” he said. “I’ve voted in the past, and it didn’t make a difference — not even close.”
UC Berkeley research examining so-called “unlikely voters” found that 28% cited the belief that their vote does not matter as a reason for not participating. Another 38% said they lacked enough information about the candidates or issues, while 26% said they believed election results could be manipulated and therefore could not be trusted.
The study also found that voters between the ages of 18 and 29 have historically participated at lower rates than the overall voting population.
Flickinger said younger voters should take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
“It would be unfortunate if anyone in that demographic would choose not to vote — it’s your chance to make your voice heard,” she said.
Election officials remind eligible Californians who are not yet registered that they can still participate in the primary through conditional voter registration at any vote center. Voters who register on Election Day can cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted once their registration is verified. Vote centers and county registrar offices are scheduled to open at 7 a.m. Tuesday.