Scenes from a blue state as California votes
More than ever, the coronavirus pandemic has made us question the unquestionable: Can my kids go to school? Is it safe to go to church? Will I work from home forever?
But if anything can be certain in 2020, it's California and its 55 electoral votes. Since the early 1990s, the state known for Republican presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Regan has been automatic for Democrats in presidential elections. It's reputation as the anchor of the U.S.'s so-called “left coast” is so entrenched that Republicans running in other states often use California as a symbol of all things liberal.
But the lack of Election Day drama has not dampened the spirits of the state's more than 22 million active registered voters, who are casting ballots in record numbers and with the same emotional intensity as a swing state.
Shiela Ruiz kissed a photo of Donald Trump while attending a boat parade in Westlake Village, saying she has been waiting “for years for a non-politician to run for office.” Gabriel Lebanon stood alone in the streets of Los Angeles mocking Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden while waving a large “Trump 2020” flag.
“Being a Trump supporter in California is hard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Brandon Little has been wearing a facemask emblazoned with the Biden campaign logo. The 32-year-old registered nurse said he believes he and his partner's lives are at stake because of the way Trump has handled the country's pandemic response.
“It's a big slap in the face to anyone that is working in this industry,” he said.
California mailed ballots to all of the state's active registered voters this year, and so far more than 8.7 million of them have already returned them. That's nearly 60% of all votes cast in the previous presidential election in California. People can still vote in-person on Election Day, but they will have fewer options as most counties are offering fewer vote centers than they have in previous elections.
