Sacramento County voters turned out on Election Day to address local issues like homelessness and cost of living, highlighting the importance of civic participation.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Voters across Sacramento County headed to polling locations Tuesday, saying casting a ballot is about making a choice, participating in democracy, and helping shape their communities.

At Sacramento County’s Voter Registration and Elections Office, voters arrived throughout the day to cast their ballots in person.



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Daryl Evans said he nearly waited too long to vote.

“I waited at the last moment. I kept forgetting about it, but today I made the effort to come over here and vote, which is very important,” said Evans. 

Evans said voting is about choosing leaders who reflect voters’ values and address issues facing their communities.

One issue on his mind is homelessness.

“My concern would be like homelessness, you know, I see that frequently in the area, and that’s a big concern right now currently,” said Evans. 

In Citrus Heights, at what election officials described as Sacramento County’s busiest voting center, some parents used Election Day as an opportunity to teach their children about civic participation.

Tina Brown brought her 11-year-old son, Nick, and said voting is something she wants him to learn firsthand.

“Nick’s 11. Yeah, I think that it’s really important. I didn’t really grow up learning or going in a lot, and, you know, politics wasn’t a big thing in our household. So I just feel like, especially this election, like we need to cast our vote,” said Brown. 

Brown said her family loves California but would like to see changes, particularly when it comes to the cost of living and homelessness.

“Cost of living, yeah, so I’m in the social work field, homelessness, you know, the unhoused, it’s something that we hear a lot of complaints about, but it’s such a complex issue that I feel like so many people don’t understand,” said Brown. 

At the South Natomas Voting Center, voters continued dropping off ballots throughout the day.

Jim Johnson said he believes voting should be universal.

“My belief is that everyone should be given a ballot and everyone should vote, and if they don’t vote, they should be fined,” said Johnson. 

Johnson, a grandfather, said he makes a point each year of showing his grandson that he voted by placing his voting sticker on his phone.

“So he understands and knows that his grandpa voted,” said Johnson. 

Election officials said they expected lines to grow through the evening as more people got off work and headed to the polls. Officials recommended voters come prepared, noting some people could wait up to an hour to cast a ballot.

County officials expect between 150 to 200-thousand people to vote by mail, drop box, or in person. 

Watch more: California Election Latest: Secretary of State breaks down what happens after ballots are cast

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