CSSA,
ASI help students believe voting counts
By
Joseph Serna
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
With a special statewide election less than two months away, students from
campuses across California gathered at Cal State Long Beach Friday for special
election training.
“Part of being a responsible citizen is student participation,” said
Mark Weber, chairman of legislative affairs for the California State Student
Association (CSSA).
CSSA and CSULB’s Associated Students, Inc., hosted the event, which taught
students from over 10 different campuses effective ways to reach out and get
their respective student bodies to register and vote.
“Long Beach has such a diverse population…we really need to get our
voices heard,” Elena Delgado, assistant director of systemwide affairs
said. “One of the easiest ways to get legislators to hear you is to vote.”
At least one proposition on the ballot will have a direct effect on students.
Proposition 76 will change school spending and state funding limits if passed.
Prop. 76 places a second limit on state spending for schools and gives the
governor more power to reduce appropriations under specified circumstances.
Excess General Fund revenues currently directed to schools and tax relief would
be redirected toward budget relief, specified construction and debt relief.
Presenters from CSSA, the United States Student Association (USSA) and the
California Public Interest Group (CalPIRG) all presented different ways to
convince students to vote. Some of these techniques, like placing registration
tables in crowded areas, are already commonplace on most college campuses.
“When you’re taking 18 units, it’s kind of hard to see past
your books,” Weber said. “But when someone jumps into your bubble,
then you’re going to listen.”
CSULB isn’t going to the extent of some campuses, like Cal State San
Marcos, which is having someone in a donkey costume and someone in an elephant
costume fight on campus.
CSULB is relying more on the proven techniques of tables and “class raps,” or
having a volunteer come into a class and educate the students about voting
and registering, which together make up about 90 percent of its recruiting
success. Volunteers are planning on setting up a table at the Southwest Terrace
on campus. Last year, Long Beach successfully registered 1,300 new voters.
According to CalPIRG, a typical campus will have 67 percent of its students
registered to vote, but only 51 percent will actually go out and do it.
“Contrary to the stigma, our vote does count,” said Julio Velasquez,
chairman the CSSA board of directors said. His presentation and others emphasized
a common necessity for successful recruiting: volunteers.
“It’s a great cause, we’re just trying to get people to vote,” said
Sarah Stein, field organizer for CalPIRG. She does not see why student organizations
would not join together in a collective effort to increase student voter turnout,
and in turn increase student influence over state policies.
Among the problems plaguing college campuses everywhere is the continued increase
in tuition with the relative stagnation of financial aid, according to Zahra
Billoo, secretary for systemwide affairs. She sees a trend towards students
getting priced out of college, which is, in a way, a type of academic discrimination.
“The signs used to say no colored people allowed, now they should say no
poor people allowed,” she said. “But [legislators] don’t care
because we don’t vote.”
For her, a combination of three things makes a good voter — education,
registration and mobilization. Neither an uneducated or unregistered voter
is effective, nor is an educated, registered voter who never actually goes
to the polls.
“Politicians aren’t going to listen to us unless we get more than
50 percent to vote,” Delgado said. “Legislators are here to work
for you, they just need to know what you want.” |
