With hundreds of thousands of unregistered college students in the upcoming election, student government groups are mobilizing a nationwide registration campaign to reach the collegiate vote.
UCLA’s undergraduate and graduate student governments will collaborate on the Students Vote! Coalition, a collection of campus-specific initiatives overseen by the United States Student Association this upcoming school year.
Since as many as 25,000 UCLA students need to re-register because of housing changes, UCLA’s campaign will be tailored to reach those students who have not yet registered in their new residences said Jesse Melgar, external vice president for the undergraduate United Students Association Council.
As the election heats up in the fall, Bruin Walk will be awash with flyers, stickers and buttons as USAC and Graduate Student Association officers and volunteers will use UCLA resources to reach as many students as possible, organizers said.
This means clipboards, registration forms and educational material will be available at orientation events such as Bruin Bash, Activities Fair and also for the first time, door-to-door knocking on the Hill.
Growing issues such as the rising cost of college education and financial aid gives collegiate youth an important voice in the election, and student leaders say college students should have a vested interest in issues that affect them most.
“Historically, politicians have not catered to the younger population because they think that young students don’t vote,” said GSA External Vice President Monica Sanchez.
“We’re a huge population, and we have a voice, (and the politicians) need to pay attention to our issues as well.”
As the officially recognized voice of the students and as such, responsible for issues such as student fees and textbook costs, USAC and GSA are embarking on a three-pronged strategy they hope will increase awareness on election issues and encourage civic involvement.
The first goal is to register 8,000 students by the Oct. 20 registration deadline. Organizers call the movement “8 in ’08.”
The second is to educate students on the presidential candidates and the 12 referendums on the California ballot. Through a program called Election Invasion, student government leaders will work with residential assistants to organize mock trials, art shows and registration seminars for voter education at UCLA’s 15 residential halls, said Susan Lee, director of the UCLA Students Vote! Coalition.
The scale of the project means an all-encompassing campaign with non-student government groups participation, including CALPIRG, cultural groups, Bruin Republicans and Democrats, she added.
“It’s been small in the past,” said Lee, referencing other registration campaigns at UCLA. “This one’s bigger and more inclusive.”
The third goal is to ensure that students actually punch their ballots on Election Day by stressing the importance of voting during the voter education seminars.
The youth vote does traditionally lean liberal, so the coalition could potentially swing the election to the Democrats. Organizers say however the campaign will be non-partisan and will invite speakers from both party affiliations.
As part of its efforts, the GSA will hold speeches by past Republican Committee Chair Richard Richards, and a Democrat to be named.
While the goal is to register 8,000 students, student leaders say they will approach as many students as possible to come as close to the 25,000 unregistered voters as possible.