Students get ready to vote

The meaning of voting and the challenges that go with it vary among USD students 

Mikaela Foehr / News Editor / The USD Vista

While voting is a central process to American democracy, it is also a confusing process. This is especially true for college students who often have the decision between voting in their home state or town and voting in their college town. This conflict, added to the general confusion of who to vote for and how to register, adds additional roadblocks for young voters. 

At the University of San Diego, there are clubs on campus, such as USD Votes, USD College Democrats, and USD College Republicans, that actively try and get students registered. With the California primary day coming up, USD Votes recently held an event to get students registered and informed on Democratic Presidential candidates and local election issues in San Diego. 

Vivian Mateos Zuniga, a sophomore involved in USD Votes, articulated the main intention of her organization in the month leading up to the primaries.

“USD Votes’ main goal for the primaries is, of course, registering students, but also serving as a resource for our campus community as they prepare to vote in primaries throughout the country,” Mateos Zuniga said. “Primaries are really complex and different depending on what state you’re voting in so we’ve done our  best to provide the information that is needed to be an informed voter.”

The California primary day coincides with “Super Tuesday.” The term “Super Tuesday” refers to the fact that 14 states are holding primaries that day, meaning 14 states are voting on who should be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. 

Although the media, and many forms of popular culture, tout the importance of voting in all aspects of local elections, the process of voting means different things to different people. 

Junior Melissa Mariscal has been a consistent voter in California since she turned 18, but holds herself personally responsible for her vote and chooses to not allow herself to participate in races of which she is uneducated.

“I’m planning on voting but I need to educate myself first,” Mariscal said. “I’m not just going to vote for someone or some office that I know nothing about.”

For other students, voting is not just a civic duty, but part of their culture. Helen Skeeland, a first year from Oregon, has grown up counting down the days until she could vote.

“I was raised with an activist’s mindset, so I’ve always been excited for when I was old enough to vote,” Skeeland said.

Skeeland also described the prevalent culture of voting and being active in the community in Oregon, which made it so choosing not to vote was never an option for her. 

“It’s part of the culture in Oregon,” Skeeland said. “In (my) high school they basically force you to sign up so I’ve been registered for a while and constantly aware of local issues.”

Despite the intense media attention that primary elections receive, especially in presidential election years, some students still have a difficult time finding out when and how to register, on top of when their state’s election day is. 

Sophomore Giacomo Radaelli stated that he had intended to vote, but was unaware of how to register and was disappointed to learn he had missed the deadline. 

“I wish I knew more about the registration process because I want to vote but didn’t know the deadline passed,” Radaelli said.

Riadelli would also be a first-time voter, and it is commonly said that the first vote is the most difficult. It is harder for a number of reasons, including not understanding the registration process, not knowing where to find information on the elections, not being familiar with the offices on the ballot, and not knowing where or how to vote. 

However, political scientists have found that voting in elections is habit forming, and according to a 2003 Yale University experimental study, once someone casts their first ballot, they are much more likely to vote again. 

Although the registration deadline for the California primary passed, students may still be able to vote in their home states. Additionally, there is still  a general election in November that students can register for in their respective states.