Political analysts say voter turnout is going to be critical if Governor Gavin Newsom wants to stay in office for the duration of his term. Special elections historically have a lower voter turnout than general elections, so if Democrats are complacent and assume that Newsom won't get recalled, they may not cast their ballots and that could spell trouble for the Governor.
Dan Reeves, a San Diego County voter, says Governor Newsom's policies during the pandemic infuriated him. His wife got laid off twice from her job in the fitness industry.
"The whole food and bar scene that we all love and we use as our escape was heavily impacted and what was sad was that, you know, these are business owners that are doing anything they can to survive and they are just getting crushed by Newsom's policies," Reeves said.
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He was one of the 1.7 million Californians that signed the petition to recall the governor that triggered this special election. He will vote to recall the governor but has not cast his ballot just yet because he is still figuring out which candidate he wants to vote for to potentially replace Newsom.
"I've seen this state deteriorate in its policies, its spending, I mean if you're making it in California, you're going to crush it anywhere else and it shouldn't be like that and looking at Governor Newsom's policies, it's just been like pulling my hair out and I felt like I had to do something about it," Reeves said.
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Over at the San Diego Registrar of Voters, many San Diego County voters have started to come to drop off their mail in ballots or vote early in person. Starr Lopez cast her ballot Tuesday against the recall.
"I have two kids, my oldest is a second grader, so it's really important to me that these mask mandates stay in place and I have a feeling that if Gavin Newsom is not in charge that might be up in the air and I'm not in favor of that," Lopez said.
She says she has been encouraging her friends and family to vote to keep Newsom in office.
"I support Gavin Newsom. I really appreciate and am grateful for what he's doing during the pandemic. My husband is a healthcare worker, so the mask mandates and the vaccine mandates in schools are also very important to me," she said.
How to Vote in California's Recall Election
You can vote early in person at the Registrar of Voters from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Voters can also drop their mail-in ballots in a mailbox.
You can also vote in person at one of 221 polling locations across San Diego County between Sept. 11 and Election Day, which is Sept. 14. To find the nearest polling location to you visit: www.sdvote.com
If you need more information on how voting works in this recall election in California, read our guide.
