UNIVERSITY NEWS | This week is National Voter Education Week. As the country enters the final month before the general election, it’s time to get prepared to vote. Eligible voters should make sure to use the resources available at lmu.edu/vote to check their registration, make a voting plan, and learn about what’s on the ballot.
Check Your Registration Status
Have you recently checked your voter registration? LMU has partnered with TurboVote to make the voting process simple: When you sign up with TurboVote, you’ll be able to access everything you need to register to vote, vote absentee and get reminders about local, state, and national elections. TurboVote is available to all LMU students, faculty, and staff. Check your registration here.
Create Your Voting Plan
Once you’ve confirmed your voter registration, it’s time to create a voting plan, which is more crucial than ever this year with the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. A voting plan consists of where you plan to vote, i.e. voting in California or for out of state students voting in their home state, and how you plan to vote, whether that’s absentee or in-person.
Research Your Ballot
Next, have you researched what’s on your ballot? Along with candidates for office, each ballot includes local and state measures that directly affect your community. Find out what’s on your specific ballot by using Ballotpedia’s Sample Ballot Lookup tool.
If you reside or will be voting in California, join the AirTalk Ballot Cram Session — A California Voter Game Plan event today, Oct. 6, at 6:30 p.m. PDT with a special cram session with LMU Professor Fernando Guerra. How well do you know your California ballot? Californians will be deciding on the fate of twelve ballot propositions this year. And there are some significant measures, including whether we should allow affirmative action in higher education, whether some cash bail should be replaced by a risk-assessment system, and whether Uber and Lyft drivers should be classified as independent contractors. Haven’t studied up yet? Well, get your notepads and pencils ready — it’s time for a one-hour cram session and then a 30-minute, LMU only question and answer period with Guerra.
Take Action
Decide how you will take action during this election. How can you encourage others to get registered and exercise their right to vote? Join LMU students for Lions Day of Action on Saturday, Oct. 10, and volunteer for the LMU Voting Phone Bank where students will be calling students to ask them to sign-up for TurboVote. Sign-up to volunteer here.
For more information and resources, visit lmu.edu/vote.
