New UC Santa Barbara Students Welcomed with Voter Registration Information for Upcoming Election
John Palminteri
ISLA VISTA, Calif. (KEYT) – Students returning to the UC Santa Barbara campus and nearby housing are getting set for the start of the new school year and also the upcoming election.
An outreach is underway to register new voters or get current voters to reregister with their new address.
UCSB student Kiran Schollum said, “getting your voice out there and trying to make a change is a super important right for me .”
The UCSB office of Student Engagement & Leadership has posted information on its website, and will be at the dorms during orientation. The volunteers and staff will have details in-person.
Reregistration is important for students to get their election materials where they are living.
It can be done with forms in person, through the DMV, the Santa Barbara County Elections Office, and the Secretary of State’s office online.
One of those making the presentations is Byron Chan a Voter Registration Intern. He said, “there is really only one thing on the ballot and it is not a big presidential election that gets a ton of press coverage, a lot of students don’t even know that there is an election happening.”
The redistricting issue, Proposition 50, will be the only item on the November 4 election.
Those getting voter registration information completed are not discussing the pros and cons of the election issue, only how to register and be ready to vote.
Vote by mail ballots go out October 6.
Maddie White a UCSB student from Long Beach said, “it is probably better to get our mail here since this special election in early November we are not going to drive down to get our ballot and drive back up so it really is more convenient to vote from Santa Barbara because that’s where we live.”
The students who have taken part in voting since they were 18 have a strong sense of participation. Barbara Lopez is a UCSB student from Northern California who says, “the efforts being put in place to get voter registration and awareness have really paid off and I think that even social media using our voices have kind of normalized now.”
Many of these students say they know how the vote now affects their lives immediately and possibly for years ahead.
Kayleen Jung said, “it is especially important for us college students to give us a platform and use are voices and even participate in general.”
After orientation there will be more outreach around the campus and the community of Isla VIsta.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.