By Abel Reyes
Long Beach State placed second in the California University and College Ballot Bowl, a civic engagement program to promote voter participation among universities and college students statewide.
Garnering 1,777 voter registrations, CSULB fell just behind California State University, Fullerton’s total of 2,716 registrations.
In early October, the Daily Forty-Niner reported that CSULB was in fifth place in the Ballot Bowl, only having 610 successful voter registrations at the time.
According to Mateo Maya, chief government relations officer of Associated Students, Inc.’s Lobby Corps, a final push in promoting voter registration among students allowed for CSULB to increase its tally and cinch second place.
“A lot more students actually registered after the registration deadline of Oct. 19, which was great for us,” Maya said.
In an effort to place high in the Ballot Bowl, Lobby Corps launched a campaign on voting issues, in which members would publish articles to ASI’s Beachfront publication to increase awareness of issues on the November ballot. Published Oct. 1, the first article discussed how to overcome voter inequity.
For the 2020 election, CSULB provided a ballot box on campus and offered an in-person voting center, located at the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center to accommodate registered voters in the campus community.
Lobby Corps set up outside the center and handed out approximately 100 goodie bags to voters on Election Day.
ASI Lobby Corps also prepared an essay and video submission contest to encourage civic engagement post-election for a chance to win prizes such as gift cards.
