The November elections are looming in the distance, and students
are working to ensure that their college-age peers, who constitute
23 million eligible voters, make their political voice heard by
showing up to the ballot box.
Several groups on campus, along with national and state
coalitions, have set up shop on Bruin Walk and other areas
throughout campus to convince the student population base to
improve their voter turnout.
18- to 24-year-olds voted at a 17 percent clip during the 1998
gubernatorial election and 32 percent in the 2000 presidential
election, which is greatly out of step with the respective
percentages for the same events of 49 and 70 for eligible voters
over the age of 24.
The involved groups, which include the campus-based
Undergraduate Students Association Council, the University of
California Student Association, Bruin Democrats, Republican
Leadership Council and the On Campus Housing Council, formed the
Youth Vote Coalition to coordinate their efforts.
The student lobbying group California Student Public Interest
Research Group has been working with all of these entities, most
recently coordinating the distribution of 7,850 voter registration
cards and information packets to students in the residence halls on
the Hill.
OCHC Chair Michelle Sivert said the council is looking into ways
to further increase its involvement.
Mark Thornton, campus coordinator for CalPIRG, said the
organization’s goal is to have 30,000 students vote UC-wide,
with 8,000 of those voters coming from UCLA.
Thornton said CalPIRG is currently securing a visit by
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon. Bruin Democrats
President Kristina Meshelski said her group has been working with
the campaign to reelect Gov. Gray Davis and is “90 percent
sure” Davis will make a UCLA visit.
The system-wide UCSA, which is supported by student fees
collected from all eight undergraduate campuses, made it one of the
three main points of its agenda to increase student voter turnout.
UCSA is coordinating efforts between student leaders at every UC
campus, and USAC is the local level of this campaign.
External Vice President and UCSA Vice-Chair Chris Neal is
heading the student government effort at UCLA. “We just want
to make sure all students are voting, period,” he said.
As the student liaison between UCLA, UCSA and the
nationally-based U.S. Student Association, Neal said an important
component of his position is having a high-voting student backing
to increase his lobbying power with legislators.
“A really effective way to do my job is with a student
constituency that votes,” he said.
A ballot item up for a vote this November could simplify voter
registration for students who wait until the last minute. If
passed, Proposition 52 would allow eligible voters to register on
the day of the election.
Many say the increased convenience of registration would better
accommodate students’ hectic schedules.
“We’re very much for it, especially with students
whose addresses vary from year to year,” said Stephen Klass,
UCSA chair.
“It would eliminate the problems of not being the same
region (of registration),” he added.
Neal added that Proposition 52 would have a significant effect
in increasing student voter turnout.
“If we have until (election day), then it would impact
young voters the most,” he said.