Coachella man takes part in historic vote for President as member of CA’s electoral college

Monday afternoon, California's 55 electors affirmed Joe Biden’s five million-vote victory. The vote gave Biden the electorates needed to secure the presidency and was immediately broadcast across all the national networks.

One of the 55 electors that made the momentous vote was Augustin Arreola, a 23-year-old first-generation American from Coachella.

"I was in the room where we were making history," Arreola told Telemundo 15's Marco Revuelta. "It's definitely going to be one of the most special days of my life."

Arreola spoke with News Channel 3 and Telemundo 15 shortly after the votes were casted, recalling the moments immediately after the votes were announced.

"The moment we casted our vote for Vice President and they announced that, within a minute my phone notifications went off, 'The articles of California just formally certified, or electoral college went ahead and certified Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' victory," Arreola said

"It was crazy to think in that moment, like, 'Wow, I was in the room where it all happened,'" Arreola added.

Arreola discussed what the vote means to him.

"To me it just means that, it's a new beginning. It's our country choosing to move forward with love, compassion and throwing out hate, throwing out any division that we had," Arreola said.

"It felt nice making a vote for an entire community," Arreola added.

As we first reported last month, Arreola, was selected by Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz to join the Democratic Party Presidential Electors in California.

"His story is really a reflection for all the other youth that grew up in humble beginnings that all things are possible in our country, and that dreams really do come true," Ruiz said of Arreola.

For our bilingual / Spanish-reading viewers want to learn more about Arreola's story and his experience casting the vote, you can check out Telemmundo 15's story.