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LAist Voter Game Plan, 1994 World Cup, and more
High school student volunteers and elections clerks set up signs outside an early voting center at Los Angeles Valley College before polls open during the Los Angeles County and California state primary elections in Valley Glen, CA Los Angeles Valley College on Saturday, May 30, 2026.
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Los Angeles Times
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Jump to
- The LAist Voter Game Plan is here for you
- What issues are at the forefront for SoCal voters?
- What’s your favorite summer activity?
- Checking in with local county registrars and answering your ballot return questions
- SoCal History: History of term limits
- 1994 World Cup organizer on the lasting impact of the tournament
Today's show: AirTalk host Larry Mantle, discusses the LAist Voter Game Plan, important issues for voters, summer activities, county registrars, history of L.A. term limits and the 1994 World Cup.
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The LAist Voter Game Plan is here for you
The topic:
On the eve of the California primary election, we at LAist want to make sure you’re covered. That’s why we kick things off today with a final look at our Voter Game Plan and how it can help guide you through your ballot.
More about our guide: Along with our typical guides for Los Angeles and Orange County, we’re offering even more this year, including the candidate tracker and a candidate quiz (for California governor and L.A. mayor).
Join the conversation: Have an election-related question ahead of the primary? Or a question about how our Voter Game Plan can help you? Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
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Guest:
- Megan Garvey, Editor in Chief at LAist
What issues are at the forefront for SoCal voters?
Gas prices are displayed at an Arco gas station in Los Angeles, on May 31, 2026.
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Michael Ip / AFP
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Getty Images
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The topic:
Los Angeles and Orange County may have some general ideological differences, but they do share similar issues that may inevitably dictate representation for the state. Today on the show, what are the biggest issues voters are citing?
Immigration: UCI polling finds that on top of support for bipartisan immigration reform, many residents think immigrants have a distinct net benefit to the area. In the case of Angelenos, LMU data from last year notes that many residents are interested in pathways to citizenship for immigrants, as well as pushing back on the Trump administration’s current deportation strategy.
The affordability crisis: Residents have noted how rising gas prices, as well as housing affordability, have become major issues for Californians. A CBS News/YouGov poll published in late April reflected this — 70% of respondents said the cost of living is unmanageable.
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Guests:
- Jon Gould, dean of social ecology at UC Irvine and director of the UCI-OC Poll
- Fernando Guerra, professor of political science and Chicana/o Latina/o studies at Loyola Marymount University, where he is the founding director of the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles
What’s your favorite summer activity?
What are your favorite summer activites?
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Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images
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iStockphoto
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The topic:
Summer is officially here. Memorial Day has come and gone, school is nearly out, and the vibes are vibing. Today, we’re asking listeners what their goto favorite summer activity is.
The question: What makes an activity a quintessential summer activity? Is it that it requires that summertime weather (that is basically always around on our bestest of coasts)? What makes it a summer must-do for you?
Join the conversation: Give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or you can email us at atcomments@laist.com. Be sure to include your name and what neighborhood you’re emailing from!
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Checking in with local county registrars and answering your ballot return questions
Answers your ballot return questions
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Jay L Clendenin / Getty Images
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Getty Images
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The topic:
County registrars across California seem to have their work cut out for them this year, as ballot returns are lagging compared to 2022 turnout numbers. That’s according to a breakdown by the firm Political Data Intelligence. Two local county registrars join to discuss preparations and to answer your questions.
Ballots returned: As it stands, only 15% of Californians have returned their ballots so far during this primary cycle.
Join the conversation: If you have a question for the registrars during the segment, give us a call at (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Dean Logan, registrar of voters for Los Angeles County
- Bob Page, registrar of voters for Orange County
SoCal History: History of term limits
L..A. Mayor Tom Bradley during a joint press conference with L.A. Police Chief Willie Williams.
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Mike Nelson / AFP
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Getty Images
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The topic:
On July 1, 1993, the Los Angeles City Charter implemented term limits for its many elected positions. This has meant that positions like mayor, controller and attorney can serve only two terms. Today on SoCal History, we discuss how this was established and what it’s meant for elections since then.
Background: L.A. implemented term limits during the fifth and final term of former Mayor Tom Bradley before he left office in 1993. The council approved limits in 1991 by a city ballot initiative driven in part by soon-to-be mayor Richard Riordan.
Statewide: State legislators are subject to a 12-year combined limit, which may be served in either the assembly or the senate. Other elected state constitutional officers, like the governor, are limited to two four-year terms.
The question: Do term limits serve the public interest by preventing political entrenchment? Or do they prevent elected officials from being able to think and act in the long term? If you have thoughts, call (866) 893-5722 or email atcomments@laist.com.
Guests:
- Zev Yaroslavsky, director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairsand former L.A. County supervisor and City Council member
- Raphe Sonenshein, Executive director of the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports research on governance and democracy in the L.A. region
1994 World Cup organizer on the lasting impact of the tournament
Brazilian players celebrate their victory over Italy in a penalty shootout at the 1994 World Cup final in Pasadena, Calif., on July 17, 1994, as then Vice President Al Gore looks on.
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Mike Hewitt
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Getty Images North America
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The topic:
As the U.S. prepares to host the FIFA World Cup for a second time, we look back at the first time it did so in 1994 with Alan Rothenberg, who oversaw the games.
Background: The 1994 World Cup is credited with bolstering the profile of Soccer in the states, which had long been a favorite worldwide but lacked appeal here. A survey from the period showed that soccer was the 67th most favorite sport in the nation.
The experience: Stadiums were lined with fans from both the U.S. and abroad, bolstered in part by relatively affordable tickets according to historians.
Guest:
- Alan Rothenberg, former president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, the governing body for soccer in the U.S., during the 1990s; his book is The Big Bounce: The Surge That Shaped the Future of U.S. Soccer (Triumph, Feb. 10, 2026)
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Today on AirTalk: L.A. mayoral race, update on the Colorado River, new book on Stanford, standardized testing in college admissions, regional dialects, and TV Talk. -
Today on AirTalk: Election updates, brains on fatherhood, new green card requirements, AI and religion, and polling on who Americans think is cool. -
Today on AirTalk: LA Phil next music director, L.A. and O.C. judicial races, annoying jingles, L.A. city attorney accusations, AI Google search, and Mono Lake basin.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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