Voices of the Vote

Santa Monica resident Patricia Olsen, 80, details her hope for the future of California after voting in the California General Election in Santa Monica, California on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Olsen says that this particular midterm election has been her most poignant and emotional voting experience. (Oskar Zinnemann/ Corsair Staff)

“I want to cry because it’s very important. You know, what’s going on … I just know that something has got to change. If you guys want to have a good country, there’s got to be a lot of change going on.”

These were the pleads of a very emotional Santa Monica resident, Patricia Olsen, after placing her ballot on the morning of Tuesday, November 6. She walked from her home to the Santa Monica Jeep Dealership at 3219 Santa Monica Blvd, which had been opened since 8 a.m, to cast her vote.

Tears dropped from her eyes when asked about the importance of the young generation vote.

“I don’t have kids but, I know how I would feel if I did. But seriously, the morality is not good and as I keep saying you have to look to yourself. Get help if you need help to figure it out,” said Olsen.

As she covered the sun from her eyes, Olsen cried the importance of parents to teach their kids tobe role models. “Remember them and thank them for how they raised you. That’s a biggie, when you have your own kids remember that. We have to be role models,” said Olsen.

Her cries turned into smiles when she expressed her desires for the country. “We want people who want to be Americans, we want people who really want to do good, for themselves, for their families, for their country.”

The recent trend in the outburst of the young voter population in this years' midterm election made Olsen have hope in the new generation of voters. “I really believe, I really do, that the young are standing up to what needs to be done. I think the voting this time is going to go in the right direction. That’s how I feel, I really do, I really feel that.”

Her tears returned as she said, “You have to have hope you know… you have to have hope.”

Ray Amorosc, who has been voting in Santa Monica since 2000, expressed his emotions about his hopes for this election. “I’m emotional because this country is fucked with him [Trump]. We have to change. It’s not the country I grew up in.” When asked how the times have changed, he said, “the anger, the lies, the rhetoric, the racism, the misogyny, that doesn’t make it. I hope we send a message. I get emotional, I just despise what’s going on.”