American Canyon voters go to the polls
On Tuesday, American Canyon voters came out to cast their ballots for one issue: Prop. 50, which would temporarily redraw voting districts in California to favor Democratic representatives.
Locally, polls stayed drama free. From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. voters drove or walked up to the local polling place at the Holiday Inn.
While the dozens of American Canyon voters surveyed by the Current leaned “Yes” on Prop. 50, there was a solid “No” vote representation. A majority of “No” votes hinged on the proposition being wasteful.
“It’s unnecessary. It’s a waste of millions of dollars,” said Toni Feller, who came out to vote with her husband and son. They all agreed that Prop. 50 was “unnecessary.”
“We believe the power belongs with the people and not the governments,” Feller added. “I think Newsom needs to stay out of it.”
Eric Azucena, 24, had a different take. “I see both sides,” he said. It was his first time voting in person. “Prop. 50 is a rebuttal against what they’re doing in Texas. But, bigger picture: I see the benefits of redistricting in favor of the Democrats.”
Walk-up voters went through the parking lot and inside the Holiday Inn, where a conference room contained booths and a bevy of informational material. Poll worker Enrico Briano told the Current that he estimated upwards of 200 people had come through that day, though more were likely to come before 8 p.m.
As of Wednesday morning, Prop. 50 has passed by a strong margin in Napa County and statewide. Final results will be released publicly on Friday, Nov. 7, and local results soon after that.
By the end of the day, Baker and his team members, Deano Grein and Phil Carlson, estimated more than 70 drivers had come through the day. According to Grein, multiple walk-up voters drivers had confusion about whether they were required to bring ballots to in-person voting.
“They say, ‘Oh, I forgot my ballot at home,’” Grein said. “They don’t realize they don’t need it.”
Some voters saw a “Yes” vote as a way to avert a power grab by President Donald Trump.
“I don’t believe in election rigging,” said Michelle Fravel. “I don’t think Trump should have a third term,” she added, guessing that a Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives could swing a third term for the current president.
Local Ricky Paul disagreed. “I voted ‘No.’ Our rights belong to us, not [the governor]. We voted to have it in our control back when Schwarzenegger was governor,” Paul said, referring to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, which voters approved in 2008 as the independent body responsible for drawing the state’s voting district maps.
“It’s fighting fire with fire,” said resident Tyler Hanes. “I hope we don’t get burned.”
