CalMatters Director Travels Across California for Voter Discussions

CalMatters director of partnerships Dan Hu has organized VotingMatters events with local news organizations and colleges to bring voters together for discussions about the upcoming election. Hu led 40 events and drove 7,000 miles in the run-up to the 2024 election. This year he has driven 2,046 miles and estimates he has interacted with a total of 2,000 Californians through the events.

Hu said people at the events are generally talking about affordability, housing, and healthcare rather than expressing strong support for specific candidates. He stated that California is probably less polarized than many assume. When people meet in person they appreciate talking to each other and the conversations are more civil than online discussions, Hu said.

He described a 2024 event in Santa Barbara where two people who had been arguing on Nextdoor met for the first time and walked away cordially despite their disagreement.

Hu said one attendee found televised debates unhelpful because they devolved into attacks, but found short CalMatters videos on gubernatorial candidates more informative. The videos help make candidates feel more human, he said. Hu stated that the organization has created a kit so anyone can host their own VotingMatters event.

He has also started an Instagram account to document his travels. The next events are scheduled for tonight in Fremont and Tuesday evening in Vallejo.