Key midterm races in California could flip House to Democrats

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02:02

One West Coast state could decide the future of the US House of Representatives. Voters in California are deciding several key races.

In California, voters are expected to turn out in big numbers. There have been a record number of registered voters for this election in California, and they said they're making their vote count.

"Gotta vote, gotta vote. Big, big changes are happening and the more people get out there the better it will be," said one voter.

Election workers put together hundreds of polling location kits as the Orange County Registrar of Voters prepares for the upcoming congressional election at their facility in Santa Ana, California, US October 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

“I know I'm concerned and I want to have my voice heard,” said another.

Another California voter who mailed-in her ballot said: “I actually voted way earlier than this, but I just wanted to hang out because I'm so stressed.”

The focus is on at least seven congressional seats that are being contested in the US state that could help flip the House of Representatives back to the Democrats.

Election experts said Orange County, just south of Los Angeles, could be ground zero. It used to be conservative, but that's changing. One big reason for that change is an increasing number of immigrants in the county.

Many of those people are from Asia and concerned about immigration, citizenship, and health care. They're all issues that have been under attack by US President Donald Trump.

Election workers deal with early mail-in midterm ballots in Orange County at the Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana, California, US, October 30, 2018. /VCG Photo‍

A recent survey of Asian voters found that 52-percent have an unfavorable view of the Republican party, versus 58-percent who have a favorable view of Democrats. When it comes to Trump, three in five Asians surveyed disapprove of his job as president.

Another thing that's interesting about California is vote-by-mail ballots. It's a popular method in the state. In fact, for the last seven consecutive statewide elections, a majority of voters mailed in their ballots.

That could get tricky depending on what happens in elections across the country. If races are close, then the mail-in ballots (which need to be hand counted and take time) will play a crucial role. That means we may all have to wait to see how these elections finally pan out.