A steady flow of San Luis Obispo voters entered the historic Octagon Barn between 1 – 4 p.m. on Nov. 5, entering with their ballots and leaving with “I Voted” stickers.
For voter Rose Russo, no election has ever been as consequential.
“I think every election is really important,” Russo said. “I feel like this one is especially important because this country has never been more divided.”
Russo’s parents immigrated to America from China where they didn’t have a right to vote.
“It’s very nostalgic because I remember going with my mom to the polls and it means a lot to me,” Russo said.
Some parents going to vote brought along their children. For Stephanie Broadway, bringing her daughter from preschool to the polling station was more important than a typical Tuesday afternoon.
“I wanted her to be a part of this and see what it looks like to have a citizens’ vote, and to experience that herself,” Broadway said. “In my opinion more is at stake than ever before in my adult lifetime. It feels very important unfortunately.”
The attention the national election is garnering has taken some of the focus away from local elections, causing some voters like Broadway to feel less informed.
“I wish I had followed local elections more this year, but the national election has taken the front seat of my attention,” Broadway said. “In the future I definitely want to educate myself more on the local elections.”
Voter Sue Hobler believes that young voters should show investment in the future of their country by submitting their ballots.
“If you want to preserve this country and the way it has progressed, then you need to take responsibility for it and the only way to do that is to vote,” Hobler said.