September 30, 2003

Students registered to vote in record numbers earlier this month as 1,375 men and women took their first steps toward casting a ballot in the Oct. 7 governor's recall election.

The registration drive, spearheaded by the SFSU chapter of the California Faculty Association and Associated Students Inc. with support from the California State Employees Association, broke last year's record as the number of students who registered to vote jumped nearly 50 percent compared to the 2002 effort when 920 students registered.

Support from the University administration and faculty played a large part in the success of the voter registration campaign, organizers said. Students and faculty ran voter registration stations outside the J. Paul Leonard Library and the Humanities Building. At the invitation of instructors, trained student volunteers visited classrooms and helped others register. And the University Bookstore offered a discount on purchases for those who could produce voter registration receipts.

The participating faculty, staff and students pulled together to register eligible voters because they strongly believe that students and young people should be involved in the political process, said Eloise McQuown, a librarian and political and legislative chair for the faculty association.

"As educators we feel a great responsibility to ensure that students are politically and civically engaged. The first step is getting them registered to vote, the next step is getting them to vote," she said. "It is important that students are educated about voting and also have an opportunity to hear all sides of the issues."

During the next few months, the newly registered voters will be called to the polls several times for major decisions, including the Oct. 7 governor's recall election, the San Francisco mayoral election in November and the presidential primary in March.

-- Christina Holmes with Public Affairs Student Writer Javier Jimenez

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Last modified September 30, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs