On Thursday afternoon, the Attallah Piazza at Chapman University buzzed with more activity than usual. There were games and free food — and voter registration.
Amid students playing air hockey and lining up behind a bright green food truck for tacos, conversations flowed about the voting process and excitement surrounding the upcoming election. The Oct. 17 event was organized by the Argyros Forum Student Union and the Student Government Association to give students an easy opportunity to ensure they are registered to vote and ask any questions.
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“They could leave class, come on over and register to vote if they haven’t already, and get some free food,” said Karla Monterrey, the Student Union’s program coordinator. “Sometimes we need to meet students where they are. We want them to start to engage politically and civically, and sometimes that’s just starting with that first step to register.”
Monterrey said the event also let students know there is a vote center on campus, where they can register, get a replacement ballot or seek other election-related assistance.
For 18-year-old Jason Wu Chen, who said he recently registered as a Democrat, the 2024 election will mark his first time voting.
The creative producing major from Irvine said he once thought voting wasn’t so important. However, something one of his teachers told him during his senior year of high school changed his perspective.
That teacher, Chen recalled, told him that not voting meant not caring about important aspects of his life, such as the quality of his education, local public transportation, the water he drinks and the food he eats.
“Many believe their voice doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things,” said Chen, while working at the information booth. “But if you don’t vote, you also don’t have a right to complain.”
Marlaina Tomlin, a Chapman graduate student studying behavioral economics, said it’s important for students to understand their vote can influence the outcome of the election.
“I personally really care about preserving democracy and reproductive rights,” said Tomlin, 25. “And I feel like this election will be very close. So I’m paying more attention and will turn out to vote.”
The university strives to make sure visibility for voter registration is always high, regardless of whether it’s a presidential election year, said Justin Koppleman, Chapman’s director of student engagement. Koppleman said there is dedicated staff for the university’s voter registration and turnout efforts.
“I think that gives us the energy and resources to put attention on it, not just during the presidential and midterm season, but also when special elections come up,” he said. “I think the regularity of it makes it familiar and keeps it on students’ radars.”
Chapman recently received recognition from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a national nonpartisan initiative to improve political engagement and voter participation, for being one of the most engaged campuses in California for student voter registration and turnout during the 2022 midterm election. Then, 34.3% of registered students cast a ballot.
UC Irvine, where 32.2% of registered students cast a ballot in 2022, was also recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, as was Golden West College in Huntington Beach, where 23.7% of registered students voted in 2022.
Chapman students showed strong voter engagement in 2020, the last presidential election, as well, with 79.5% of registered students casting a ballot.
“One student’s influence on another student can sometimes be the most powerful part of their college experience,” said Koppleman. “So hopefully beyond just registering to vote, if they haven’t already done that, they can see electoral engagement, voter participation, being a routine part of the student experience.”
“In the end, hopefully, it has a stronger influence on continued participation,” Koppleman said.
