Several students at USC said they don’t know how to vote by mail or have encountered difficulties with the process, which has prevented them from voting in past elections.

Students also questioned whether their ballots will be counted. Those concerns come as California implements a package of 13 election-related bills aimed at safeguarding elections, increasing voter access and ensuring provisions on mail-in ballots.

These goals are part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to prevent federal government interference ahead of the November midterm elections, according to a Sept. 19 press release from the Office of the Governor of California.

This package declares it a felony to seize ballots, election records or voting technology before results are certified and prohibits people in positions of authority from interfering with the delivery or return of vote-by-mail ballots. Other measures include expanding voting and language access, strengthening election cybersecurity and regulating deceptive artificial intelligence-generated political content.

VoteSC is a nonpartisan student organization focused on voter registration, turnout, election education and civic engagement at USC. VoteSC executive board members recommend that voters mail their ballots at least seven days before an election to avoid delays.

“A lot of students have trouble keeping up with all the changes that are happening with voting rights and politics, and sometimes tend to get overwhelmed by how much information is out there,” said Celine Bacily, vice president of VoteSC. “Students express concern in general about how their vote is going to impact what happens. … Our job stays the same of seeing what’s out there and what resources we can provide to them.”

Newsom said the new election measures aim to fight against the “dictatorial control” imposed on California’s voting freedom by the Trump administration. Last March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to obtain federal control over mail voting; the United States Supreme Court blocked the order on Sept. 14, although it may revisit the issue after midterms.

“No one should doubt the degree of our resolve in protecting our democracy,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber, according to the Office of the Governor of California. “This legislative package ensures that California voters will not be silenced or intimidated.”

Bacily, a senior majoring in intelligence and cyber operations, said VoteSC’s goal before the November midterm elections is to make voting-related information more accessible for Trojans.

“[VoteSC hopes] to reach as many students as we can and get as much information out there as possible,” Bacily said. “We’re trying to make it super accessible through social media and making it more centralized and applicable to USC students specifically.”

Michael Amato, a senior majoring in public policy and former president of Public Policy Undergraduates , said mail-in voting gives him the flexibility to vote in Illinois while attending USC.

“Mail-in voting is for the best, especially because I’m an out-of-state student,” Amato said. “Otherwise, I would not be able to vote in my home state; that’s a community I am very passionate about.”

Alex Wong, a junior majoring in political science, is a registered California voter who almost always votes by mail. He expressed concern for “election security.”

Wong said the bill’s provisions against deceptive political content are “going to be a huge conversation” in the future, particularly as A.I. becomes more prevalent in elections.

“Deepfakes and election integrity, those are going to be two things that are deeply linked,” Wong said. “It’s starting this year. I think it’s only going to become even bigger.”

On the other hand, Itzel Najera, a second-year graduate student studying urban planning who usually votes by mail with her family, expressed support for the bills.

“I didn’t have time, so I didn’t vote when I was younger, but now that I know all the avenues you can take with mail-in ballots,” Najera said. “[The new bills] can hopefully create younger turnout with voters. … I hope with all of this discussion that maybe younger college students are aware [of options] and do mail-in voting.”

California voters can drop off ballots at secure drop boxes from Oct. 5 until polls close on Nov. 3. The voter registration deadline for the midterms is Oct. 19, according to the Office of the California Secretary of State.

“Ultimately, politicians know that we are at our best when we are representing the most amount of voices, when people have access to vote and when people feel like they have comfort in voting,” Amato said. “We all recognize that the voice of Americans is powerful.”