Editorial: _Students should cast ballots in November election_

With important measures such as Proposition 30 on California’s ballot and a presidential election that will shape future national and economic policies, students must make their voices heard this November.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the school year, it is understandable that some college students may forget to register to vote before heading to the polling station next month.

We encourage and remind eligible students, both California residents and those from out-of-state, to register to vote before their county’s fast-approaching deadline if they have not done so already.

As of Sept. 7, about 23.8 million California residents were eligible to vote in the upcoming election, according to a report released by the California Secretary of State’s office. About 73 percent of those eligible residents had registered to vote, the report stated. Given the size of California, both demographically and economically, this percentage should be much higher.

The November ballot will deal with both local and national issues that are of particular importance to college students.

If Proposition 30, which would increase the sales tax and raise income taxes for upper-income households, were to fail, the University of California would lose $250 million in state funding and may end up with double-digit fee increases, University officials have said.

Within the next four years, many students will enter the workforce. On the national level, the outlook of the job market and the state of the economy ““ steered in part by presidential policies ““ are at stake for college students in this election.

As of August 2012, the unemployment rate for people aged between 20 and 24 was 13.9 percent, compared to 6.8 percent for people 25 years and older, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Though it may seem as though one vote doesn’t make a large difference, being an active participant in a democracy is not just a right ““ it’s a privilege.

Students must register to vote in order to play a role in deciding where the country will head.
In September, the California Secretary of State launched a new website that will allow eligible residents to go through the entire voter registration process from their personal computer.

We applaud California’s progressive attitude in extending and easing the registration process and encourage students to take advantage of this resource to ensure that they are eligible to cast their ballot when election season comes around.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board.

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