USC students experienced another eventful Election Day watching closely and participating in several key races that could reshape politics at the local and national levels. Students and community members lined up at USC Village to vote on local issues, while mayoral and gubernatorial races across the country also gained national attention. 

A major item on the ballot Tuesday for Californians was Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure aiming to redraw the state’s voting district maps to elect more Democrats to the United States House of Representatives. 

Newsom introduced the measure this summer with assistance from California Democrats, including House representatives and state lawmakers, to counter gerrymandering by Republicans in states like Texas. Prop 50 proposed creating a new map that paves the way for Democrats to flip the House five seats in the 2026 election. 

Early returns showed that Prop 50 won with nearly 65% of the vote shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. 

Juliette Wait, a freshman majoring in accounting and finance, said many people felt strongly about Prop 50. 

“I feel like [there were] really divided opinions on both sides. [People felt] really strongly about [Prop 50],” Wait said. “Honestly, [the response on campus] has been pretty positive. I think there’s been collective agreement.” 

On Aug. 29, after months developing the plans, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed the state’s new voting district map into effect without a state-wide vote. Aidan Mornell, a freshman majoring in anthropology, said he voted yes on Prop 50 to counteract gerrymandering in red states like Texas. 

“I really don’t like Trump and what he’s been doing to gerrymander red states,” Mornell said. “It feels sort of fair, and [Californians are] also voting on it, unlike red states.”

Student groups such as Trojan Democrats have encouraged campus conversation around Prop 50 with events such as a panel discussion featuring the League of Women Voters on Sept. 25. The Trojan Democrats also voted 90% to endorse the measure, the group announced in an Instagram post Oct. 16.

 Leilani Powell, a sophomore majoring in journalism and theater, said while she wasn’t shocked that Prop 50 passed, she was happy about it. 

“I kept seeing [voting yes], especially on my social media feed, so I had a lot of hope going into it,” Powell said. “But I was also scared for [the results], because I’d see ads saying, ‘Vote no’ or ‘Vote yes.’ It was on both sides.”

 Noa Foruzanfar, a freshman majoring in law, history and culture, said California’s special election was positive in that it encouraged people to participate in the country’s democracy. 

“It brought out a lot of voter turnout in this recent special election,” Foruzanfar said of the measure. “It’s very important that citizens have to do their civic duty, which includes voting. And I’m really happy that people have been going out, even if it’s just because of this one proposition.” 

Across the country, yet seemingly just as top of mind, was the contentious election for mayor of New York City. The race between the two front runners, Zohran Mamdani, a state assemblymember who ran as a Democratic Socialist, and Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who ran as an independent, presented differing visions that captured national attention, especially via social media. 

Mamdani ran on a platform of improving affordability, reforming law enforcement and investing in fast, free public buses, all to “make it easier to raise a family,” according to his campaign website. Cuomo ran on a platform that included improving subway safety, building more housing across all income levels and expanding access to mental health and substance use disorder services.

Cana Iinuma, a senior majoring in theater, grew up in Harlem and moved to Queens after rent increased rapidly due to gentrification. She said Mamdani’s goal to make New York affordable for everyone was an important part of his campaign as rents continue to rise. 

“It was kicking out a lot of lower income people of color, especially Black and Hispanic communities,” Iinuma said. “Housing was becoming very unaffordable for people who have been living there for decades.” 

As a daughter of Japanese immigrants, Iinuma said Mamdani’s victory meant a lot for immigrant representation. 

“It gives [immigrants] hope for their future, and that anything is possible,” Iinuma said. “That’s the main message, that women and people of color can do whatever they put their mind to. That’s very important for children to see growing up.”

Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race Tuesday with 50.4% of the vote. Aside from New York’s mayoral election, other notable races included Virginia’s gubernatorial election, where Democrat Abigail Spanberger became the state’s first female governor with 57.2% of the vote. 

“I’m following the election in Virginia and obviously in New York,” Wait said. “Both of the elections have been left leaning. So I feel like that’s a shift from the [current] presidency.” 

Overall, Mornell said it’s important that USC continues to promote the importance of voting.

“There should be a focus on outreach and showing how easy it is to vote,” Mornell said. “Putting [voting locations] in accessible places, whether on campus or not. I think people knowing it was in the village was super helpful, just making it accessible and telling people to vote, showing them how easy it is to register.” 

Asiana Guang contributed to this article.