UCLA Students Endure Hour-Long Lines at Vote Centers

Hundreds of students waited in lines of up to an hour to cast ballots at four on-campus Election Day locations.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections

UCLA Students Endure Hour-Long Lines at Vote Centers

Live Poll

Would you wait in an hour-long line to cast your vote?

Hundreds of students stood in hour-long lines to vote at UCLA vote centers on Tuesday. Election workers provided same-day voter registration forms and poll passes to help voters cast their ballots.

Why it matters

The turnout at campus polling sites reflects heightened engagement among young voters in Los Angeles during a midterm cycle that also saw Democrats gain control of the House and the Senate. Students cited immigration enforcement and budget cuts as motivations for voting.

Students waited up to an hour at vote centers, with UCLA hosting four in-person Election Day voting locations on campus. The source does not provide total turnout or comparative wait-time figures for other polling sites.

The players

Madison Le

A UCLA student who voted at a campus vote center and said immigration enforcement and budget cuts prompted her participation.

Karen Bass

The incumbent mayor of Los Angeles who is facing a challenge from Nithya Raman in the city's mayoral race.

Nithya Raman

A Los Angeles city council member running against incumbent Karen Bass for mayor.

The details

Election workers at UCLA's De Neve Plaza and Ackerman Union handed out poll passes, QR codes that let LA County voters make ballot selections online and transfer them to a vote center ballot marking device. Student Madison Le said heightened immigration enforcement and budget cuts under the Trump administration inspired her to vote, while Gruwell said close elections across the country motivated her to stay in line.

Tuesday: Midterm Election Day voting took place at UCLA vote centers.

Political Context

Democrats' gains in the House and Senate this cycle follow the pattern of the 2018 midterms, when a surge in youth engagement helped flip control of the House. The long campus lines suggest a similar mobilization among young voters in Los Angeles.

Voters who experienced hour-long waits can expect similar lines at campus sites in future elections if turnout remains high. Los Angeles residents should check their poll passes and polling location details before heading to the polls.

The takeaway

Campus turnout shows young voters in Los Angeles are mobilized by immigration and budget issues. Readers planning to vote should verify polling locations early to avoid long waits.