Election Day 4:20 p.m.

Dianne Avila, an English as a second language teacher from California, said she first voted in the 1998 election. A lot has changed, including the pressure in education when choosing a candidate, she said. “I’ve always been a teacher, and so I actually would have people tell me who to vote for or else,” she said, later mentioning that the pressure from her peers contributed greatly to her vote. “I’m not going to be controlled,” she said.

Voting, for her, is an act of personal independence. “If you don’t vote, you don’t have a say. You’re just like a follower,” she said. “I can’t complain if I didn’t vote.”