As the November election draws near, residents across the Westside are feeling the full weight of political campaigns. From the race for Congress between incumbent John Duarte and former Assemblyman Adam Gray, to the heated contest for the State Assembly seat with Incumbent Juan Alanis and Jessica Self battling it out, voters are experiencing an unprecedented flood of campaign materials. While missing campaign signs are a minor issue, the onslaught of mailers and the never-ending ads on streaming services are proving to be major sources of frustration for locals.

In Gustine, John Sanchez, 29, recently noticed that one of his campaign signs supporting a local candidate had gone missing from his front yard. “It’s frustrating because it feels like someone’s trying to take away my voice,” Sanchez explained. “It’s just one sign, but it makes me wonder how many others have been taken in the neighborhood.”

While the occasional stolen sign has raised concerns, most voters are far more frustrated by the daily avalanche of campaign mailers. Residents from all corners of the district say their mailboxes are being stuffed with flyers from candidates across the board—be it congressional, assembly, or local races.

Darlene Peters, 45, from Newman, has had enough. “Every single day, my mailbox is full of these mailers. Whether it’s from candidates for Congress or Assembly, or even local city council races, it’s overwhelming. I get that campaigns want to get their message out, but this is overkill.”

Peters isn’t alone in her frustration. Carlos Montoya, 53, from Santa Nella, is feeling just as inundated by the number of campaign mailers arriving at his home. “It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even look at them anymore,” Montoya admitted. “I get they’re important for candidates like Alanis and Self who want to win the Assembly seat, but it feels like too much. I can’t even keep track of all the different candidates now.”

But the flood of physical mail isn’t the only issue. Campaigns have also turned to streaming services, flooding platforms like Hulu, YouTube, and others with political ads. For voters looking to relax with a TV show or movie, the experience has been anything but peaceful.

Kristen Lee, 28, from Santa Nella, described the frustration of seeing back-to-back political ads. “It doesn’t matter what I’m watching, there’s always another political ad popping up. It’s frustrating because I’m just trying to relax, but every few minutes it’s either a Congress ad or an Assembly ad. It’s non-stop.”

Even older residents like Paul Reynolds, 47, from Gustine, have noticed a significant uptick in the number of political ads streaming online. “I watch a lot of shows online with my wife, and we’ve never seen this many ads before,” Reynolds said. “I understand it’s a presidential election year, but it seems like every few minutes it’s the same ad over and over. We know the candidates by now—just let us watch our show.”

Despite the frustrations, some voters remain understanding about the intense advertising. Elena Castio, 62, from Newman, has seen her fair share of elections and understands why campaigns are ramping up their efforts. “This is how elections work, especially in a year like this when there are so many big races going on,” Castio said. “Between the Assembly race, the congressional race, and everything happening locally, campaigns are just doing their job. But I will admit, it’s a lot to handle.”

For younger voters like Jenna Alvarez, 34, from Gustine, the constant stream of political messaging—whether in the form of mailers or online ads—is starting to take its toll. “I get that this is how campaigns work now, but it’s exhausting. I’m trying to stay informed, but the mailers, the ads—it’s everywhere, and it’s hard to keep up,” Alvarez said. “It’s not just Congress or Assembly; it’s the local races too, and it all feels like too much at once.”

With Election Day just weeks away, voters across Newman, Gustine, and Santa Nella will continue to face a barrage of campaign messaging from candidates in the congressional, Assembly, and local races. While the frustrations are palpable, many understand that this is simply the nature of modern elections. Until the final ballots are cast, it seems voters will have to brace themselves for a few more weeks of overflowing mailboxes and non-stop streaming ads.