With more than 43 million ballots already cast across the country, Americans are choosing federal, state and local officials and deciding ballot measures that would affect their finances and the political landscape.
For Black San Diegans, the rising cost of living, immigration enforcement and federal funding cuts to essential services are deciding their vote. The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint sampled the opinions of several Black residents ahead of Nov. 3. Early voting in California began Saturday Oct. 24, with select voting centers opening from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Concerned about affordability, Giselle Atchcatlou will be voting for the very first time. “I was never interested in voting because I didn’t really care,” Atchcatlou said, “but I will vote this year because I want things to change.”
Giselle said the Trump administration’s policies including tariffs and the war in Iran have made life economically difficult for her and her family. “Maybe my vote will make a change,” she said.
Giselle is part of a larger surge of Black voters this year. Early voting data from the 2026 midterms shows Black turnout rising in several Southern states, including North Carolina, where it reached 63%, outpacing the same point in 2022.
Torin Childress, a father of two kids and San Diego Unified School District worker, said he will lean towards Democrats when he casts his ballot. “I wanna make sure that we keep universal free meals [and] we [put] teachers and students first.”
Childress said he plans to vote early despite a tight schedule of work and his children’s youth sports. “I have to make sure I do make time to study all the propositions and make the right decisions,” he said.
The Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives or Senate is what Terry Parker is hoping his vote will contribute to. “If the Democrats get the house and the Senate, they will impeach him [President Trump]. And they need to,” Parker said. Parker said the Democrats flipping the house and senate will put “safe guards” on the president’s rule.
As a Democrat, he’s not worried about the Democratic candidates succeeding in races in California. “We are pretty strong in California,” he said. Parker said he already made his choices in his mailed ballot and will be submitting it in a voting center this weekend.
The Trump administration’s push to weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits any racial biases in the electoral process, has spurred Denis Dawson to make his voice and that of his children heard on Nov. 3.
“I always encourage my grown children to vote. I tell them that people died in order for them to be able to vote,” Dawson said. “They must vote [and] show me the sticker that says ‘I voted’ or else I don’t give them anything to eat,” he joked. He said he won’t wait until the last day before voting.
For the Rev. Jerry Wood, he is skeptical the midterms will bring any economic relief to working families whether Democrats take control of Congress or not. Instead he’s worried about voting fraud, allegations that have been made by President Trump and the GOP. “[I am] very concerned not only for myself but also for my family and other families in the country that are suffering right now, financially,” he said. Rev. Wood said he’ll vote next week though.
Why is the midterms important for Black Americans?
- The midterms serve as a mechanism for protecting and defending voting rights. Gerrymandering efforts in the southern states threatened to limit Black voter rights and Prop. 39 could make it difficult for Black Americans without driver’s license or any form of ID to vote in future elections.
- Outcomes from the midterms will determine Congress’s ability to stand against changes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and other historic civil rights protections that have broadened opportunities for Black and Brown people.
- High cost of housing, food and gas are among the top priorities for many voters ahead of the polls. The midterms will likely address these issues.
- If the Democrats flip the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the Democratic Caucus, will become the first ever Black speaker.
