Students make push for elections


With less than 24 hours before polls open, student political organizations are hoping their increased presence on campus Tuesday will serve as a reminder to get out and vote.

Groups such as the USC College Democrats and Students for Meg will hold events throughout the day intended to increase student voter turnout.

Phone banks will be held starting at 8 a.m. at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center, which will become the base for Get Out the Vote activities on Election Day.

“We want it to be impossible for you to be on campus and not know it’s Election Day,” said Micah Scheindlin, political director of the USC College Democrats.

USC’s chapter of Students for Meg will be out rallying as well, beginning today and continuing straight through to the end of Election Day.

“[We] specifically will continue with phone banking and precinct walking, reaching out to voters on a more personal level,” said Anjali Naskar, communications director for Students for Meg. “[Today], we will be on Trousdale [Parkway] informing students of Meg’s plan for California, especially her jobs plan. We will also be dorm storming to talk to students and connect with the undecided voters.”

Naskar said the group will continue its efforts on Tuesday along Trousdale Parkway.

USC College Democrats faculty adviser Marlene Towns said that she believes the reminders will help increase voter turnout.

“When it comes down to it, it’s just a matter of remembering to go vote,” Towns said. “So having these reminders can make a difference. It also keeps people in the spirit of Election Day.”

Scheindlin agreed, saying that if people are reminded, they’re more likely to cast their ballots.

“I think that the reality is people do want to vote,” Scheindlin said, “but they’re busy and don’t know how to go about it.”

Once people know, he said, all it takes is five minutes.

“That’s a message that’ll resonate,” he said.

The College Democrats will be monitoring polling places in and around campus throughout the day Tuesday to make sure voting goes smoothly.

They’ve teamed up with the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics to hand out voter pamphlets and fliers, as well as Organizing for America to put on the GOTV events.