Siskiyou County residents hope voices can be heard in primary

YREKA, Calif.– It’s Election Day in California and voters are heading to the polling booth to put down their decision on several key seats in the state.

In Siskiyou County, voters made their way to local booths with the hope they can make their voices heard in this midterm.

“If you have an opinion, it should start here,” said Yreka resident Roy Spaulding.

Locally, most of the races in the county were uncontested. Spaulding referred to it as equivalent to, “voting for friends.” But at the state level, seats of power are up for grabs.

With 27 candidates running for governor and 32 candidates for U.S. Senator – voters aren’t lacking options.

“We know what’s going on. It’s just that we don’t have a voice,” said Yreka resident Joyce Von Tickner. “Hopefully the candidates that we’re voting for will give our voice, make our voice known.”

In a county that has voted overwhelmingly red in the last two presidential elections, some hope this primary might be the chance to help push the needle to the right.

“We get discouraged and so we’re not represented,” said Von Tickner.

According to the county clerk’s office, voter turnout Monday night was at 22 percent – very low, even for a midterm.

Spaulding says that he understands why some may get discouraged but, “You don’t have to stay home. Start on the local level with volunteering and find out what you can do.”

Voters who did turn out are showing their hope for change with the mark of a pen but for so many others it feels like a losing battle.

“People will get out and vote and will have a say,” said Von Tickner. “But it does discourage a lot of my friends and people that I talk to that our vote doesn’t count because the majority is down south.”