By Christian Magdaleno, Nov. 6, 2024
In the final hour of the election, students lined up to cast their votes at Cal Poly Pomona’s Bronco Student Center, allowing them to converse and share their opinions on local and national issues.
“This election was more about preserving my rights and my reproductive rights as a woman and rights for immigrants who are first-generation DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students,” said Luz Gonzalez, a chemical engineering student.
Gonzalez also mentioned she believed it is important for Gen-Z to vote if they hope to see real change in the government and legislation.
Students also reflected on Florida rejecting the amendment to expand abortion rights, which means the state continues with a 6-week abortion ban. In order to pass, it required a 60% approval rate — it failed at 57%.
“It is very unfortunate,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of people aren’t aware of how severe that can be for women. They think women are getting abortions left and right because they want to have sex and have fun, but a lot of it does come down to complications at birth. It is a very apathetic take.”
Lorene Reyes, a management and human resources student, spoke about why she chose to vote in this election.
“Because I am a woman of color and just a woman in general,” Reyes said. “I feel like the other opponent compared to Kamala Harris wasn’t doing things right for people of color, especially women. I am half Mexican and half Black, and he is a racist man.”
Students were also concerned about the results in local elections.
“I am trying to vote for a new mayor in my city because it has been pretty s—,” said Bryan Quintero, a construction drafting and management student. “In the past term of our mayor, we have had four schools shut down: two elementary and two middle schools. It has been pretty bad in terms of funding for public education.”
Quintero expanded that he is concerned because he has two younger brothers who are in that education system, and he is worried about the long-term effects this can have on their education.
Overall, students expressed the importance of voting in this election.
“My vote matters, and I realized that if I want to make a change, I need to vote to make a change for the better,” said Daniel Gonzalez, a mechanical engineering student.
Feature image courtesy of Bryan Doan
