Associated Students Inc. set up a voter education booth at the University Union Plaza today, closing to 6 p.m. to encourage voter turnout, answer questions and walk students to on-campus polling locations.
ASI’s primary focus in this booth is voter education, said Maya McClain, ASI secretary of civic engagement and political science senior.
“The Performing Arts Center is an on-campus polling center this year, so [Election Day] is going to be a lot of trying to hold people’s hands and walk them to vote,” McClain said.
Today’s event is the final part of ASI’s annual Flex Your Right campaign. ASI staged five events throughout October to increase voter registration throughout San Luis Obispo, said Ashleigh Spragins, ASI President and business administration junior.
This morning, Caty Ogden, coordinator of government affairs for ASI, said Election Day has been quiet so far since ASI has been hosting election-related events in the past few weeks.
“[Overall, ASI is doing] anything we can to make sure our students are civically engaged and educated,” Ogden said.
According to the California University and College Ballot Bowl, a higher education voter registration competition, Cal Poly had the fourth highest registration in the Cal State system at 1,331 students registered as of Nov. 1. In 2022, Cal Poly had the highest number of students registered to vote out of the California State University system, at 643 students.
“Our main point is to register students to vote and [make] sure they’re aware of their resources,” Spragins said.
In addition to in-person events, ASI answered anonymous student questions over Instagram on Monday.
“People feel a lot of fear about asking questions about voting, just because politics can feel so partisan,” McClain said.
