Millions of Californians will head to the polls on Tuesday, March 5 to vote in the state primary.
At San Diego State University (pictured above), student political leaders are looking forward to participating in the election.
“Millennials and Gen Z will be the majority of the electorate in 2028,” said Mariam Alnajjar, an SDSU student and president of the university’s Turning Point USA chapter. “Gen Z is the future of this country, and they have the power to effect change with their vote. Now more than ever, Gen Z must be involved in voting.”
Others echoed this belief, emphasizing that voting is a responsibility that is important to enacting change.
“We need to start shifting our mindset from hopeless to excited,” said Jordan Meyers, the president of SDSU’s Political Science Student Organization. “We live in a country where we have the privilege of speaking our minds and deciding who we want to represent us. So many others aren’t afforded this opportunity and we take it for granted.”
While students stated a variety of issues that were important to them in the upcoming election, the most prominent included inflation, gun violence, human and women’s rights, and foreign conflicts, especially the Israel-Hamas war.
However, some students are not sure if either of the leading candidates will be able to address their concerns.
“I think it’s time that we break from the two parties offered and try to build an alternative that represents our interests,” said Joseph Kendrick, the president of SDSU’s International Youth and Students for Social Equality. “I think many young people, myself included, might spend too much time looking at social issues and campaign promises, but when we really dive into the class dynamics of both the Democratic and Republican parties, it’s clear that both serve the interest of the financial elite that funds them.”
Other students expressed wanting younger and more diverse candidates than are currently on the ballot as many viewed the upcoming election as a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Regardless of discontentment with the candidates, student political leaders encouraged others to participate in the election.
“A lot of voters, especially younger people, are apathetic to the choices presented,” said Terah Gruber, president of SDSU’s Students Demand Action organization. “We must remember that our say collectively makes a large impact beyond our own individual voices. Voting is not just for yourself- it is for your family, your community, those who are unable to vote, and the well-being of those who are vulnerable to political changes.”
To help students feel more comfortable participating, organizations will be hosting a variety of events leading up to the primary election.
The Political Science Student Organization, a nonpartisan organization, will be holding meetings about the election as well as hosting events with pollsters. Similarly, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, which aims to unite students on the basis of socialist politics, plans to hold an event that will be an in-depth analysis of the election.
“The primary election is a perfect time for students to learn about legislation and get involved in the organizations they care about,” said Gruber. “It is a personal responsibility to seek out education about politics, and how you and your life will be affected by the changing legislation.”
To participate in the primary election, citizens must be registered to vote by Feb. 20. All registered voters will receive a mail-in ballot, which will be mailed out this month prior to the election.
For a list of all the state races, visit: https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov//statewide-elections/2024-primary/cert-list-candidates.pdf. If voting in person, you can find out where your nearest polling place is at by visiting: https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/elections/vote-center-locations.html/. Dropping off ballot information can be found at: https://www.sdvote.com/content/rov/en/elections/ballot-drop-box-locations.html/.
