Organizers encourage CSUMB students to vote Nov. 5

By Mark Muckenfuss

Cal State Monterey Bay has a bit of election fever.

Voter registration drives have been much more productive than in past years, said Nicole Hollingsworth, director of Government and External Relations, who has helped to organize voter registration on campus.

“We had a really successful year for CSUMB,” Hollingsworth said. “We registered 109 voters, about double from years past.”

She said the fact that this is a presidential election year likely has something to do with the increase, but she also credited the enthusiasm of the Associated Students, which has been enthusiastic about sponsoring voter registration and informational events. 

“Our Associated Students is fantastic this year,” she said. “They’ve really engaged.”

AS President Aaron Villareal said he wants students to understand the importance of voting. 

“These people we elect make influential decisions,” Villareal said. “People’s voices need to be heard. Every individual has power.”

As part of that effort, AS sponsored a recent forum with CalMatters, a non-profit news organization, at the Otter Student Union. The session was meant to inform students about their voting rights and discuss some of California’s ballot propositions. 

Marianne Gawain, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Monterey County, spoke during the session, trying to illustrate the power of casting a ballot, particularly on the local level. She used the example of a measure last year on approving a section of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway in Del Rey Oaks. 

“It was a dozen or fewer voters that made that decision,” Gawain said. “Your vote and your friend’s vote really matter.”

Hollingsworth said some students register accordingly. 

“I had one student say, ‘I want to stay registered in Texas.,’” she said. “They feel their vote matters more there.”

Others are taking advantage of the opportunity to register and vote for the first time. 

“I registered a girl from Germany the other day,” she said.

That student, Sarah Heron, grew up in Germany but is a U.S. citizen. She’s at CSUMB as an exchange student for the fall semester. 

“The U.S. is important to me,” she said. “I have family here. I also think it’s important to have your say in politics.”

Denise Tambasco, director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development, is also part of the effort.

“It’s my role to make sure this happens,” she said of the registration events and the campaign to encourage student voting. “The only way their voices get heard is if they show up and tell people what they want to see happen.”

She’s also in charge of tallying the numbers for the Ballot Bowl, a CSU-wide competition to see which university can register the most voters. 

“We’re doing better than we did in previous years,” she said. “Overall, I’m really pleased about the turnout so far.”

Information on state ballot initiatives can be found on the state website, along with other voter information. The deadline for online registration in California has passed, but voters can still register in person at early voting sites and at polling places on election day, Nov. 5.