SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Voters have one more day to case ballots in the California state primary, with a record 23.1 million people registered to vote statewide — 2 million of them in San Diego County alone.
At ballot drop boxes across the county, voters shared what drove their decisions, saying their choices went far beyond simply picking a name on a ballot.
Paul Dusek, who's lived in the City of San Diego since 1969, said he believes the state needs a fresh start, and that his decision was an easy one based on decades of evidence.
"If government was run more like a business, I don't think we'd have as many problems. But it's not, because we're using OPM, other people's money. So, when you have that kind of methodology, it's just constant waste in my opinion," Dusek said.
When asked what he hopes to see from the next governor, Dusek was direct.
"Do what you say, say what you do, make it work, and no BS," Dusek said.
Not everyone is looking for change. Otis Tidwell, also a City of San Diego resident, said he would prefer the next governor keep things close to the way they are.
"Almost like Newsom was running it. If he can continue to keep California running that way, I think we'll be we'll be better off than having someone else in there that really doesn't know how California operates," Tidwell said.
According to a KGTV/San Diego Union-Tribune/SurveyUSA poll, cost of living tops the list of biggest issues facing California, cited by 48% of San Diegans. Homelessness came in second at 12%, followed by housing at 11%, immigration at 7%, and threats to democracy at 7%.
"I'd say all of the above," said Dusek when asked about the biggest issues weighing on him. "The taxes in this state are outrageous, and the decisions that have been made have been consistently wrong, in my opinion."
For Tidwell, it came down to one priority above all others.
"Voters rights," he said.
Despite differing priorities, voters agree there is a lot at stake in this primary election.
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