The race to see who would be California’s Governor was in full swing on Sept. 14. California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and Community Engagement, a Student Engagement & Leadership Development program, hosted a walk-up/drive-up official ballot drop-box.
The ballot drop-box was available for students, faculty, staff and community members to have their voice heard and vote from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the corner of Bunker Hill Drive and Saratoga Court.
Community Engagement volunteers Zack Simmons and Derek Gutierrez were working the drop-box tables during the early afternoon. The turnout by noon had already accumulated more than 51 votes.
Comparing the voter turnout to the last drop-box Community Engagement hosted with the November presidential election, Gutierrez found the outcome and the voter atmosphere upbeat.
“The traffic is pretty similar to last time,” Gutierrez said. “We don’t really have a way to tell if it’s all the CSUMB community, but it seems like everybody in the area.”
Voters were unable to pick-up ballots to vote there, but they were able to drop-off their ballots before it was time for California to start counting the results.
The election ensured Newsom’s victory to remain governor with him collecting more than 60 percent of the votes by the end of the election. Governor Gavin Newsom will serve as governor until his term ends in 2023.