By Henry Powell and Jaylyn Preslicka
Inside The Pointe at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid, 45 electronic polling stations were set up for the surrounding community to vote on Nov. 5.
At 5 p.m., following most work and school shifts, roughly 80 voters formed a line that stretched from inside the Pyramid and around the parking lot. The line comprised parents of children, local residents and students.
15 minutes before, a second polling and drop-off station was set up outside the Pyramid with five additional stations to accommodate the growing line.
CSULB’s Graduate Writing Specialist Omar Hussein said the waiting process has been pleasant; however, he might not have felt that way if the wait continued for another hour.
Having mailed his ballot 10 days before without a confirmation that it had been received, Hussein came to the Pyramid to ensure his vote was counted.
“I have to say, I am really glad there is a polling place on campus because I was freaking out earlier today,” Hussein said.
Starting with the 2020 primary election, the Walter Pyramid has operated as an official Los Angeles County Vote Center.
Mark Gim, the assistant lead of the polling station, said this election had been the largest same-day voter turnout in his years working the polls.
Throughout the day, an estimated 1,200 voters waited upwards of an hour to vote in person at the Pyramid.
“There’s an expedited method to check in LA County registered voters. There’s two different lines, and everyone can vote, but it just takes a little longer for those who aren’t registered in LA County,” Gim said. “There’s also a quick way to pre-select your voting selections. … It’s called Poll Pass, and if the greater general public knows about it, it would make it a lot faster.”
Prospective voters could still register on the day of the election to cast their ballots, but they had to wait in line with the rest of the pollers if they wanted to do so in person.
California ceases online voter registration 15 days before the election. However, the state allows in-person registration at polling places, county election offices or voting centers.
Mechanical engineering major Brian Gonzalez said he went to the Pyramid on voting day because he did not receive a ballot in the mail. The 2024 primary election marks Gonzalez’s first time voting.
“The experience is good to have, especially because of how…since four years ago, I’ve seen how much presidents and policies have affected me,” Gonzalez said.
