“Year of the young voter” showcased at UCSC on election day

They call it the “year of the young voter,” and UCSC defended that statement, Tuesday afternoon, with hundreds showing up to vote on campus.

For the first time, students are allowed to participate in same-day voter registration on campus, which led to massive lines and a couple tardies to class.

Massive lines snaked down 3 flights of stairs and out the door at the Career Center in Quarry Plaza, Tuesday. It was over an hour wait to get up to the polls, but this didn’t turn students away. “My professor is like if you need to miss class to vote go ahead,” said Salma Torres, a sophomore at UCSC.

To some students, making it to class wasn’t the first thing on their minds. Many of the students that were in line, were first time voters. Some of them were just 18 and 19 years old — ready to let their voices to be heard.

“I feel like this campus is somewhere where activism is very prominent. Considering the results of the last election, I know that a lot of people, especially the younger generations, are turning out and trying to have their voices heard to make a different in our country,” said Torres.

Conditional Voter Registration, which allows people to register and vote all in the same day, was offered to students at UCSC for the first time, Tuesday.

The Santa Cruz County Elections Office said they want to make voting as simple as possible for busy college students. “This is their residence now. Local issues affect them and we want them to be civically
engaged and voting,” said Larissa Addison, a clerk at Santa Cruz County Elections Office.

Santa Cruz County Elections Office said they are unsure whether it was the convenience of same-day voter registration, or the heightened political climate, that drew in more students than ever before. They said they saw over 100 voters last night, and expect to see far more, Tuesday afternoon.

The polls will be open until 8pm at UCSC.