After struggling with low student voter turnout in his work on various political campaigns, Joe Jacobson decided he wanted to turn the numbers around.
Jacobson, a third-year political science and economics student, and Steve Charmello, a second-year business economics student, created a student organization in June that aims to get all eligible UCLA students registered over the next four years. Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement officials registered Vote for Our Future as an official club last week.
Charmello said the club plans on getting all eligible incoming UCLA students registered during New Student Orientation sessions in July and August. Jacobson said some students may be concerned that they do not have permanent addresses, but students can report street intersections instead of complete addresses.
Charmello said the club currently has about 60 members working on various tasks, including voter registration and event planning.
“This is a really easy approach – it takes two minutes to train the student advisers (to register students at orientation) and it takes one minute to actually get it done,” he said.
Jacobson said the group also plans to work with UCLA to implement an easily accessible voter registration link on MyUCLA because, under the Student Voter Registration Act of 2003, universities are required to provide resources that make it easy for students to register.
Charmello said Vote for Our Future registered 300 students during move-in weekend last month by stationing booths near Dykstra Hall and Rieber Vista.
He added that Vote for Our Future is currently focusing on voter registration but ultimately hopes to engage more students in politics.
“Voter registration is a means to an end,” he said. “What we want is to get students to actually vote and get more politically active.”
Charmello said the club plans to invite celebrities who can encourage students to vote. The club is currently working with the Alumni Center, Bruin Republicans and other personal contacts to invite to campus presidential candidates, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and UCLA alumni like former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Jacobson said the club is working on hosting a free speech panel with prominent speakers, including political comedian Bill Maher and UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh, in light of the “Kanye-Western” themed raid.
“We want to bring the Bruin community together on (freedom of expression) issues,” he said. “Voting is the ultimate form of free speech.”
Jacobson said the club reached out to the undergraduate student government over the summer to ask for its support in increasing student voter registration.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council External Vice President’s office organizes voter registration efforts, including drives during election seasons, but past events had low student turnout. Jacobson said he thinks Vote for Our Future will be more successful with its institutionalized approach.
“The problem with registration drives is (most students) are not going to stop by a booth and register,” he said.
Zach Helder, the USAC external vice president, said that he is impressed by Vote for Our Future’s ideas and believes a multifaceted approach can increase student voter registration. Helder said the EVP’s office will continue its voter registration drives during election season and hopes to increase UCLA student voter turnout to 50 percent by the 2016 general election.
Helder added that the EVP’s office will provide logistical and institutional support for Vote for Our Future by offering voter registration forms and connecting the club with government officials.
Jacobson said the club will meet with UCLA administrators next month to discuss adding a voter registration button to MyUCLA and will host a free speech panel next quarter.