Voters are showing up to drop off their ballots in the 2021 gubernatorial recall election. Polls will remain open until 8 p.m. You can find more information on the recall election and how to cast your ballot here.
Around thirty voters showed up to cast their ballots in person at the Chico Masonic Family Center in Chico around lunchtime.
Chris Ariza is a driver for Uber Eats. He said he decided to vote in person Tuesday to recall the Governor.
“I've been seeing the quality of the state just degenerate over the last couple of years. Especially since he took office, just seemed like the fires are getting worse and worse. Nobody wants to do anything about it,” he said.
Ariza said that he also hasn’t been satisfied with the Governor’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just a lack of willingness to respond...We don't see Newsom touring hospitals anywhere, anything like that,” he said.
Chiropractor Ed Rogers also chose to cast his ballot in person. He said he’s voting to replace Newsom with Larry Elder.
“I would just like to see a change. I mean...I'm a businessman here in Chico, been here a long time. I see a lot of businesses leaving Chico, a lot of my friends are in California and (I) see a lot of my friends are leaving California,” he said. “It's just the vibe, it's gotten bad, taxes are high, crime is up.”
He said that worsening fire season and the COVID-19 pandemic also played a role in his decision. He’s hoping Elder will address those issues.
“I really hope he changes the forest policy to start managing the forest better. So we can stop having these wildfires that affect everybody's business...like myself, and everybody else in town. (I’d) like to see less maks mandates,” Rogers said.
Standing in line to vote at Chico’s First Baptist Church, Cheryl Grace said she wants to keep Newsom as Governor. She said she doesn’t believe any of the other candidates could do a better job addressing the many issues the state is facing.
“I get the idea that he does care about the people in his constituency, and the whole state, especially with our fires and our other problems. I felt that he was doing all that he could do. I don't think somebody else is going to come along and just make a new outlook that's going to solve all the problems,” she said.
This story will be updated throughout election day with voter interviews.
