Registration act reaches out to students

By Robert Romano
The Guardsman

The California Voter Registration Project will resume this semester at City College to make voting more accessible to students.

Historically, people between the ages of 18 and 24 vote far less than older people. The voter registration drive is a way to address the inequality of power and participation, said Timothy Killikelly, a City College political science professor and project director.

According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, about one third of people aged 18 to 24 are registered to vote, and the percentage is steadily declining.

One of the reasons for this, is lack of information. Students don’t know how and where to register and do not realize the need to re-register after moving to another residence.

The voter registration project is focused on bringing awareness about the importance of voting to students and attempting to increase the number of young voters.

“The issues now are more intense for students,” Killikelly said. “It’s always been a battle: tuition, space and schools, no classes. I want to give students a voice in elections.”

“In some ways we have been very successful, we have registered about 150,000 voters statewide since the program started,” he said. “The first direction we give the teachers and students who are conducting the seminars is to not support any particular candidate but just to educate the students on the process.”

Student trustee Jefferey Wang, who helps coordinate the project, said he hopes to see the process all the way through—from working with teachers to set up boxes in classrooms, to collecting and mailing completed registration forms.

“We will conduct educational seminars in the classroom. We will talk about the convenience of registering to vote,” he said.

Professors can participate in the process by distributing registration forms in the classroom and informing students on the process. They can also host voting presentations, explained Leslie Smith, dean of government relations.

“The key for this process is to be as consistent as possible through fluctuations in voter turnout,” said Killikelly.

Distribution of voting materials begins during the week of Sept. 20.

Other community colleges that have implemented the project include: San Joaquin Delta, Peralta, Coastline, Los Angeles, West Kern, Chabot, Las Positas, and Rio Hondo.