Thousands of Fresno County voters waited patiently in lines dozens of people deep Tuesday as one of the longest and most polarizing elections in American history approached the finish line.
Fresnoland is speaking with voters all day at vote centers throughout the city, learning about the key issues driving turnout.
Election officials have said Tuesday’s election will have the highest turnout since the fall of 2020.
Poll workers guided a steady flow of northwest Fresno residents through a fluorescent-lit conference room at United Health Centers on Tuesday morning, where roughly 20 voting booths awaited those joining millions nationwide in today’s presidential election.
“It’s our right,” said Adam Martinez, expressing a sentiment echoed throughout the morning by voters of varied backgrounds and concerns.
Some voters approached the day with a sense of gravity. For Jamal Jones, the act of voting itself carried deeper meaning. “I voted today as an act of conscience,” he said.
The stream of voters represented a cross-section of northwest Fresno, each bringing their own priorities into the booth — from union workers to business students, first-time voters to longtime residents.
Among the first-timers was Richard Magallanes, 21, who registered that morning. A union member of Millwrights Local 102, Magallanes said he mobilized for Proposition 32, which proposes to increase the state minimum wage and provide for automatic future adjustments tied to inflation. “I’m a blue-collar worker,” he said. “I voted for the overtime pay.”
Social issues motivated many voters. “I got a lot of sisters. It’s not my body, it’s their choice,” said Brian Arteaga. Shay Edmonds emphasized the importance of “making sure laws in California are inclusive,” pointing to Proposition 3, which ensures the constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
While most voters were motivated by the presidential election, local issues drew some voters’ attention, particularly around housing development. “They’re doing a lot to build. What about keeping people where they are?” said LaToya, who declined to give her last name. She worried current housing initiatives on the ballot focused too heavily on new construction while neglecting tenant protections.
Those concerns about local governance extended to the County Board of Supervisors District 2 race, where incumbent Steve Brandau faces a tough race against challenger Garry Bredefeld. “I voted for Brandau, he seems to be doing fine. I hate career politicians – go out and get a job, you idiot!” said Daryl Perucha.
Joyce, who lived through 1970s New York and declined to give her last name, drew on her memory of Trump 50 years ago. “He’s just as big of an asshole now as he was then,” she said. “We’re voting for democracy. People are selling their souls to save a dollar on gas.”
Not everyone arrived with their minds made up.
Brigido DeLeon waited outside the voting center for 20 minutes, weighing various policies from Harris’ green energy to Trump’s border security before making his final decision. While he voted for Biden in the last election, he opted for Trump this year.
“I’m a business major,” he said. “I’m hoping he can get the economy rocking and rolling.”
Across the city, Spencer B., a 25-year-old downtown Fresno resident who asked not to be identified by his last name, came to the Fresno County election center Tuesday and cast his vote via dropbox. Spencer used to be a poll worker, and said he’d used to vote the same day while working the polls.
He said voting this time was easy, too, since he works in the Pacific Southwest building in downtown Fresno. He submitted his vote during his break.
Spencer said that the most important issues on the ballot were the local races. “Assembly, Congress, House of Representatives,” Spencer said, “and then the statewide issues like all the ballot measures and U.S. senators, as well.”
Spencer said he voted in favor of Proposition 36, which would reclassify certain drug and criminal offenses from a misdemeanors to felonies, and create a new court process for certain drug-related crimes, if it passes.
Ijeamaka Obodoagha, 35, has been voting since they were in college in 2008.
Obodoagha said the most important issues had to do with “women’s rights to be able to control their bodies” as well as candidates who are in favor of engaging in student loan forgiveness.
Obodoagha said they voted Kamala Harris for president. “I think one of the more exciting things about this race,” Obodoagha said. “It almost reminds me of how I felt in 2008 when Barack Obama was running for office. To potentially see someone that looks like myself in that office. I think that’s historical, and I’m just happy”
Darnell Hollis, 21, started voting in the 2022 midterm elections.
He said that the most important issues on the ballot for him were inflation and the rising cost of living.
Hollis said his votes tended to lean more toward conservative politicians, and that he voted Donald Trump for president. “He’s more for the farmers and truckers,” Hollis said. “The hard working people.”
Laura Doty, who cast her ballot for Donald Trump at the Betty Rodriguez Library in Fresno, said she wants a fair election and a candidate that puts America first.
“I just love our country so much, and I want our country back,” Doty said.
Doty explained that she was unhappy with the Biden administration’s handling of securing the southern border and also urged voters to do their own research on the candidates.
The line of waiting voters wrapped around the library Tuesday afternoon and poured onto the parking lot with no signs of decreasing.
Lorraine Christensen always votes, she says, but like many voters across the country, Christensen feels the stakes are much higher in this election.
“It feels like democracy itself is on the line,” Christensen said, explaining that this is her main motivation to come out and vote.
Cecilia Martinez and her daughter, Nyove Gonzalez, went to the polls together to vote.
Martinez said that she was motivated to vote to keep the momentum going for Biden’s current administration.
“This is a very important election and we need to stand for what we believe in, we need to stand for human rights and everybody’s rights, not just for one group of people’s,” Martinez said.
Gonzalez, 25, agreed with her mother’s sentiment, saying she wants a president who stands for all people regardless of background.
Gonzalez also mentioned that Prop 3 was a motivating factor for her to come to the polls.
“People have the right to live their life how they want to live it. That’s just my opinion.”
Humberto Rayo said he always votes, and though there wasn’t a specific issue or ballot item that brought him out to drop off his ballot, he said he wanted to make sure his ballot was counted.
“I just didn’t want Trump to be president again,” Rayo said, adding “even though California is gonna most likely end up being blue, I did want to try to make a difference in the props that are closer to home.”
Rayo also said he hopes voter turnout is higher this time around.
Electioneering prohibited
Electioneering is prohibited within 100 feet of a polling center, including any garb promoting a candidate — citing voter intimidation concerns.
In an interview early Tuesday with Fresnoland, James Kus, the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters, said early voting proceeded smoothly for the most part. Kus also said there had been a few predictable incidents of residents wearing Trump or Harris clothing while trying to cast a ballot at a vote center. But, Kus said, voters mostly complied with the instructions when given.
“In every case, the voter has been kind enough to work with us and remove any type of electioneering material,” Kus told Fresnoland. “We really appreciate that and it helps to speed up the process when the voter can work with us.”
Kus said vote centers were busy, with long lines. Early Tuesday, Fresno County processed around 9,000 ballots before 11 a.m.
