SACRAMENTO, Calif. — ABC10 is going out to South Sacramento and North Sacramento communities to engage with voters.
On Friday, a team from ABC10 spoke with people outside New Arden Market in North Sacramento’s South Hagginwood neighborhood.
“I do vote, but I'm wondering if my vote counts,” said Jamaela Jennings, who owns J Spot Kitchen at New Arcade Market on Marysville Boulevard. “I think it's rigged. I think they know what they're voting for before it gets, you know, to the offices, to the voting polls. So that's how we feel."
“For a lot of people, they don't think that their vote matters,” ABC10 Race and Culture Producer Katie Kim said. “That's something that we've definitely heard. And so through this effort, we're really hoping to empower people to really feel like, 'Hey, my vote does matter because I can make a difference in this community.'"
Jennings said homelessness is a major issue she cares about and believes her community is harder hit than more affluent communities nearby.
"A lot of people are on drugs out here. No one's doing anything. You can't walk around like that in Rocklin (or) pitch a tent in Rocklin,” Jennings said. “They keep it right here, and it’s like they don't care."
Crime is another major issue, she said.
"A lot of deaths with our young kids. A lot of young teenagers and young people of color are being killed on the streets, and I don't think enough is being done about that,” Jennings said.
ABC10 has been and will continue to be at other community locations, engaging with voters.
“All throughout election season ahead of November 8, which is the general election, we're really going into communities to better understand what are informational needs that people have and what would help empower people to vote,” Kim said.
ABC10 is handing out informational cards with “important dates to keep in mind, as well as important resources websites you can go to, to check if you're registered to vote,” Kim added.
Gerardo Cabral, ABC10’s Community Relations Manager, was at New Arden Market Friday and said, “some folks have been saying that they have voted already. They got their mail in ballots. Some of them haven't. Some of them are still in question if they want to vote or not…Hopefully, you know, with our conversations or at least some of that voter information that we did provide them will persuade them into at least considering to vote or into looking into the process."
Earlier this month, ABC10 spoke with voters at the Hmong Art Exhibit event organized by Hmong Youth and Parents United and hosted at the HOPE Center.
Sophy Xiong - a student at Sacramento State - said, "to me, voting is really important because you just want to get your voice out there, you know. It's a really great way to, you know, voice your opinion and, you know, advocate for yourself."
Madison Xiong - a student at UC Davis - agreed, saying, “I like voting because you can decide on who is advocating for you, especially in representatives and stuff. When you feel like, oh, you're just, like, a small voice, but you can vote for people that will advocate for you."
We want to hear from you
In October, ABC10 launched a voter engagement project to make sure you feel ready to vote. Have any other election-related questions you would like us to answer? Please let us know by filling out the survey below.
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