On March 3, students gathered around a screen at the Aztec Student Union Courtyard to watch primary results pour in for California and 15 other jurisdictions.
Some students were there for the free pizza while others watched in anticipation, shifting their focus between the big screen projecting results in the union and their phones.
“I am losing hope in the country,” interdisciplinary freshman Maya Tomasik said. “Biden is leading and I don’t really have faith in him.”
Tomasik was among those who voted for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and although he won California just minutes after the polls closed, he did not perform well in other states.
Journalism senior Alexis Camel lives close to campus and voted just hours before the polls closed.
“I’m hoping for a win for Bernie. I think he should’ve won the last election,” Camel said. “It’s going to be very interesting seeing the results come in.”
Television and film senior Khalonii Westly said she voted for Biden and was pleased with his performance.
“Things are going exactly how I voted,” Westly said.
Television and film sophomore Joshua Lee said he had mixed feelings about the primary results but was mostly unsurprised.
“In a way, I’m kind of surprised but not really surprised because I understand what other states were thinking when they chose Joe Biden,” Lee said. “I feel like more people wanted to choose someone more moderate.”
Others were more surprised by the results.
History senior Isaiias Ortiz Vazquez, who voted for Biden, didn’t anticipate his success on Super Tuesday — a day in which the former vice president took 10 states.
“I heard all my friends voting for Bernie, so I was expecting him to win,” Ortiz-Vazquez said.
Television and film freshman Mireya Walker was among those students who were registered in other states and missed the deadline to register in California. She said she would have supported Sanders.
Interdisciplinary studies junior Alison Aiken was upset because she was not able to vote due to a flight and ballot delay. She said she supports both Warren and Sanders and was surprised by Biden’s victories.
“I think he’s a little out of touch with the times, (and) I don’t think he fully represents the society that we currently have,” Aiken said.
Undeclared freshman Brandon Heck was unable to vote as well. He said if he did have the opportunity, he would have voted for Sanders based on his proposals.
“It would be nice if Sanders won because of the population that’s behind him,” Heck said. “I know he wants to alleviate student debt, he cares about the environment and I think he has a good agenda.”
Music freshman Rexelljone De Leon decided to vote while she was at work. She said she voted for Biden with the intention of slowing down Sanders’ momentum after watching him win previous states. She was surprised by Biden’s performance through the night.
“I really thought Bernie was going to pull through,” De Leon said.
History senior Leonor Rodriguez was initially going to vote for Pete Buttigieg before he dropped, but choose Sanders as her second choice.
She stressed the importance of the millennial and Generation Z votes because she thinks that is what will get President Trump out of office.
“If we all go out there and vote, we can overpower the Baby Boomers,” Rodriguez said.
The primary is expected to go until June if there is no clear winner of the 1,991 state delegates needed to become the Democratic nominee. If neither reaches the requirement, a contested convention in July will decide the nominee who will face off against President Trump in the November general election.
