On Cal Poly's campus, there is an emphasis on civic engagement with a high number of voters engaging in this local election.
The power of voting is clear to students like Ashley Spragins.
“I decided to vote because I feel like everybody has an impact. Especially in a town like this, it's really easy to persuade the votes one way or another, especially with the voice of the students," Spragins said.
Alexander Levine, a member of Cal Poly’s ASI External Affairs Committee, it was also a chance for their vote to really mean something in the local elections, including the San Luis Obispo County District 5 Supervisor race between Heather Moreno and Susan Funk.
“Part of this campus falls within that region," Levine explained. "A big push this year was really to educate students that they can have a say in an election that represents them directly.”
Levine said students based their votes on the changes and improvements they want to see.
“Students really wanted a candidate that represented the students and represented ideas that they wanted, like safe and affordable housing off campus around SLO County,” he explained.
Cal Poly is regularly one of the best schools for registering voters. This year alone, it's one of the top schools in the state government’s Ballot Bowl competition with 235 registered voters since January 1 — the most among California State Universities.
“We're currently winning that competition within the California State University system," Levine said. "We're really proud to register voters and engage students with something that really does truly matter.”
On the ASI Cal Poly website, students are also encouraged to attend local city council meetings and board of supervisor meetings to better understand the community in which they live.
