By Ben Cartwright
ROCK the VOTE
What if...a devastating disease caused you to lose your ability to speak?
What if...you then survived a tragic accident that caused you to become quadraplegic and lose your ability to write?
You would have no voice. No one would hear you. No one would know what you were thinking.
What if...you never registered to vote? What if you never voted?
See paragraph three bellow.
November 4 is not going to be your average Tuesday. Sure, pop legend Madonna will be in town playing a concert at Petco Park, but it will also be a day in which people will make some pretty important choices about the future of our city, state, and nation. Tuesday, November 4 is Election Day and you have the opportunity to participate in what is basically a nationwide contest that will select the next President of the United States, amongst things.
For many students, this election will be the first time they will be able to vote in a presidential election. It seems like everyone has an opinion on who our next president should be but as they say, “talk is cheap”. It all boils down to the ballot box and that is really the only place where your opinion will make a difference. Individual votes do matter, and your generation’s voting power is huge. Our youngest voters have the potential to be the biggest voting bloc out there. Gather your friends and encourage them to vote… it really is easy.
How do you do it?
- Register to vote…and do it by October 20 (the deadline to register so that you can vote on Nov. 4). Here are just a few convenient ways to do it:
- The Associated Students Government Affairs Office has Voter Registration Forms available. Not only can you fill out the form here, but the staff will even mail it in for you!
-Pick up a Voter Registration Form on campus in West End Plaza at the Aztec Center Satellite Cyber Lounge; at the ARC; or in various offices around campus. Fill it out and drop it in the mail. No postage is necessary!
- Visit www.as.sdsu.edu/rockthevote and click on the “Register to Vote” icon. Fill in the requested information, print the form, and drop it in the mail!
- The Associated Students Government Affairs Office has Voter Registration Forms available. Not only can you fill out the form here, but the staff will even mail it in for you!
-Pick up a Voter Registration Form on campus in West End Plaza at the Aztec Center Satellite Cyber Lounge; at the ARC; or in various offices around campus. Fill it out and drop it in the mail. No postage is necessary!
- Prefer to vote by mail? Many people prefer to avoid the lines and vote by mail. This is also a great option for students who come from places outside of San Diego County and want to continue voting in elections at their “permanent address”.
- If you are newly registering to vote, select “Permanent Vote-by-Mail Voter” on the Voter Registration Form.
- In order to vote by mail for the November 4 election, you must complete the mail voter registration by October 28.
- Educate yourself…It’s important to know who and what you are voting for. While voting is easy (and can be fun!), we are electing the leader of the free world and deciding on issues that will affect our day-to-day lives. All registered voters get a copy of the Secretary of State’s Election Day Guide, but that thick publication can look fairly overwhelming. A really easy way to find out everything you need to know about the upcoming election is to check out the “Easy Voter Guide”. This convenient publication is put together for each election, and is available online or in print form. Copies of the guide will be available in the A.S. Government Affairs Office or at www.easyvoter.org.
- Vote!...You’ve registered, you’ve read all the propositions and candidate bios, and maybe you’ve even attended a candidate forum or engaged in some discussions with friends about their voting choices. But the “meat” of it all, is actually getting out there and casting your votes. If you are registered to vote with an on-campus address, you can even vote in Montezuma Hall! Others will have their poll-site listed on the back of the election guide that will be sent to them by the Registrar of Voters. Know that you can leave things blank on your ballot if you don’t have time to research all the issue: just vote on the candidates and issues that you gained knowledge about. Peak times at the polls are typically early in the morning, noon, and the after-work 5 p.m. rush. Visiting the polls outside of these peak times will cut down on your waiting time. If nothing else, everyone who votes gets to sport one of those cool “I Voted” stickers to show the world that you have done your civic duty!
After Election Day, the decisions have been made. Certainly not all of the races will come out in your favor, but by voting, at least you gave your input and made an effort to make your voice be heard. Now is the time. Make history. Rock the vote.
For more information and important voting links, check out www.as.sdsu.edu/rockthevote.
Last update: 12/11/08
