For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 8, 2022
For More Information:
Ori Liwanag , CALPIRG Students
(714) 932-6733
[email protected]
Despite a 100% chance of rain, CALPIRG Students at UCSD decided to stand outside and remind their peers to vote.
CALPIRG’s New Voters Project is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan youth voter mobilization effort in the country. CALPIRG’s New Voters Project has run peer-to-peer student voter mobilization drives to turn out the youth vote on college campuses for more than 30 years. Its philosophy is that the full participation of young people in the political process is essential to a truly representative, vibrant democracy.
Young people, 18-24, are the largest and most diverse generation in the history of the country. When young people register to vote, and show up for elections, they have the power to set the course on decisions happening in our state and country.
Volunteers and interns in the 50 year old student org have been registering their peers and holding events to remind students to vote all quarter. “A little rain isn’t going to stop me from making sure my generation is heard,” said Sarah Song, a student volunteer with the New Voters Project.
Students brought out a 9-foot kayak to one of the busiest walkways on campus for this “Get on the Vote Boat” event. They asked passersby if they had voted yet, and helped anyone who hadn’t, make a plan to do so.
While most students were bundling up in their raincoats, avoiding the rain, CALPIRG volunteers were answering questions about how to vote. Many students who are newly registered asked pressing questions, including: Do I vote in person or by mail? Where is my nearest polling location? What time do the polls close?
They also handed out origami “Vote Boats” and made arrows directing students to the polling place at the iconic Geisel Library.
“Young people have the opportunity to make our voices heard in our democracy, but only if we vote,” said Toby Ngo, the campaign coordinator for CALPIRG Student’s New Voters Project, “It is cool to know that someone will vote because of the plan I helped them make today.”
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The Student PIRGs voter registration and turnout effort is part of its New Voters Project campaign, one of the largest nonpartisan youth voter mobilization efforts in the country. The Student PIRGs’ New Voters Project has run peer-to-peer student voter mobilization drives to turn out the youth vote on college campuses for more than 30 years. Its philosophy is that the full participation of young people in the political process is essential to a truly representative, vibrant democracy. The New Voters Project does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, a political candidate or political party for elected office.