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The California Report

Organizers Try To Boost Voter Turnout In Imperial County

Keith Mizuguchi
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imperial valley voter turnout
William Cooper, left, director of the Becoming Project, chats with Abby Guardado as she takes a piece of candy from their jar during an information event organized by the ACLU’s Imperial Valley team, along with five other local advocacy organizations, on Oct. 18, 2024. The coalition is hoping to register hundreds of new voters and get people energized about casting their ballots ahead of the November election. (Kori Suzuki/KPBS)

Here are the morning’s top stories on Tuesday, October 29, 2024…

  • Over the last few months, voting rights advocates have been hitting the ground across the Imperial Valley as part of a new effort to get more people ready to cast their ballots in November. They’re fighting an ongoing battle: decades of low voter turnout.
  • More than 37,000 University of California service and patient care workers are voting this week on whether to authorize a statewide strike.
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers are a win away from a World Series Championship. L.A. defeated the New York Yankees in Game 3 Monday night, 4-2, to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Imperial County Has Some Of The Lowest Voter Turnout In CA. These Organizers Are Trying To Change That

For decades, Imperial County has trailed most other California counties in voter turnout. The county came in dead last during this year’s primary election, with just over 18% of eligible voters casting their ballots, according to state voting records.

Now a coalition of grassroots organizers are making a wide-reaching effort to change that. Their goal is to get hundreds more voters registered by Election Day and to energize more people — especially younger voters — about the process.

The effort is being led by the ACLU’s Imperial Valley team. Advocates are certainly hoping to boost turnout this November, but their focus is also on the valley’s future. “I think that a lot of people in the valley, perhaps, see the same people that are running and might not feel connected to some of the priorities that they have,” said Crystal Quezada, the ACLU’s Imperial Valley director. “The way that we make that happen is by having our people vote. Having them have their voices heard.”

UC Workers Voting On Possible Statewide Strike

Thousands of University of California service and patient care workers are voting this week on whether to authorize a statewide strike.

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AFSCME Local 3299 represents some of UC’s lowest paid employees, like custodians, security guards and food service workers. Earlier this month, the union filed formal charges against the university system alleging bad faith bargaining.

Dodgers Move Closer To World Series Title

Freddie Freeman homered for the third straight game and Walker Buehler pitched another World Series gem as Los Angeles beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-2 on Monday night for a 3-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

Buehler and six relievers combined on a five-hitter for Los Angeles, on the cusp of its second championship in five years and the eighth in franchise history.

Game 4 is Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Down to three healthy starters, the Dodgers plan their fourth bullpen game of this postseason. Rookie right-hander Luis Gil goes for New York.

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