'Use your right to vote': How young voters in California are preparing for the November special election

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Kern County officials have only 75 days left to prepare for the Nov. 4 special election, but some young voters are already ready to exercise their right to vote.

In most years, election officials have more than a year to plan polling locations, find election workers, and count the votes.

However, with the recent decision to hold a special election, the situation may take a more youthful turn.

Newsom says special election on California redistricting is planned for November

Ivan Juarez, a freshman at Cal State Bakersfield, said he is happy that he will be able to vote on November 4.

"It's unfortunate for states like Texas where they don't really have a say in the process," said Juarez.

Voters between the ages of 18 and 34 make up around 21% of likely California voters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California .

For Cal State Bakersfield junior Itzel Varges, the opportunity to vote in the special election is exciting — especially because Varges has been part of student government herself.

Varges said having redistricting in California and being able to vote on it is a "power move" for the voters.

I would love to vote," Varges said. "I would be voting, definitely, in agreement with the redistricting here in California.

Jisselle Sanchez, a junior at CSUB, said she was unaware of the upcoming election and the redistricting vote until she opened TikTok a few days ago. She said many of her peers also receive their political news from the app.

I think it's good that TikTok is bringing it out there for a younger audience," Sanchez said. "I didn't know much about it, but now because of TikTok and everything, they're telling us what would happen if this bill gets passed.

Ashley Saenz, a CSUB junior majoring in psychology, said she feels the same way about the younger generations' news consumption patterns.

"We're in the era of technology so that we're able to use platforms like TikTok, Instagram, even YouTube or news - it's just better," said Saenz.

According to Pew Research Center , four out of 10 people categorized under Gen Z used TikTok as a search engine for news as of 2024.

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While the younger generation may use social media as a source of news, they also aren't shying away from utilizing the power of their voices.

"Stay up to date, stay educated, keep learning to make sure that we're doing better ... for not only us, but for the United States as a whole," said Saenz.

Use your right to vote," said Juarez. "I think voter apathy is honestly one of the biggest issues that we have in this country and I think it's important to go out and vote on Nov. 4.

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"Key bellwether": Swing state governor's race could bring trouble for Trump - and the GOP

In November 2025, Democratic and GOP strategists will be paying close attention to the outcome of gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. The nominees have been chosen in both races: Democratic former Rep. Mikie Sherrill is up against GOP nominee Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey, while the nominees in Virginia are Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

In an article published on July 7 , The Hill's Julia Manchester emphasizes that political strategists see the Virginia gubernatorial race and the fight for control of the Virginia House of Delegates as a "key bellwether" and a referendum on Donald Trump's second presidency.

Manchester reports, "The races could prove to be a litmus test for the first year of Trump's second administration as Republicans prepare to defend their majorities in Congress next year, especially as Virginia has a tendency to oscillate between the two parties in the race for governor…. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball each rate the gubernatorial contest as 'lean Democratic.'"

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Once deep red, Virginia has evolved into a swing state — and it is arguably the Democratic Party's strongest state in the South. Republicans haven't won Virginia in a presidential race since George W. Bush in 2004, and both of Virginia's U.S. senators are Democrats: Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. In 2024, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried Virginia by roughly 5.7 percent.

However, in 2021, Republican now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin pulled off a single-digit upset in Virginia. But Youngkin cannot run for reelection in 2025 because, under Virginia law, governors cannot seek two consecutive terms, and he will not be eligible to run for a nonconsecutive second term until 2029.

Political analyst Bob Holsworth based in Virginia told The Hill, "The Democrats want to see this as a bellwether largely because they think they have an advantage here."

If Spanberger, a former CIA agent, wins in November, Democrats will see it as a positive sign for their prospects in the 2026 midterms.

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A Roanoke College survey released in May showed Spanberger leading Earle-Sears by a wide margin of 43 percent to 26 percent, with 28 percent of voters saying they were undecided," Manchester observes. "However, another May poll released by the business group Virginia FREE showed Spanberger leading by 4 percentage points. Spanberger also holds a fundraising lead over Earle-Sears.

Manchester adds, "According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Spanberger raised $6.5 million, while Earle-Sears brought in $3.5 million; Spanberger currently has more than $14 million in the bank, while Earle-Sears has just less than $3 million."

Spanberger believes that the mass layoffs of federal workers being carried out by the Trump Administration with the help of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will work to her advantage in November.

Spanberger told The Hill, "Virginia is home to more than 320,000 federal employees. I will never miss an opportunity to make sure the president understands that the haphazard DOGE effort has been deeply, deeply detrimental to Virginians, to their families, to our economy, and that the havoc it has wreaked across our commonwealth is so significant…. As a former national security professional, I have dire concerns about what the future looks like."

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Read Julia Manchester's full article for The Hill at this link.

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