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AP20:102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2020
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Groundbreaking College Student Voter Registration Numbers Following the Voter Registration Deadline

SACRAMENTO, CA – As of this morning, over 65,000 Californian college students have registered to vote since the second California University and College Ballot Bowl launched on August 17, 2020. This is an enormous increase compared to the approximately 21,000 Californian college students who registered to vote using the Secretary of State’s online voter registration system the entire year of 2016.

The Ballot Bowl is a friendly competition hosted by the California Students Vote Project, where all major institutions of higher education in California—including the California Community College (CCC), California State University (CSU), University of California (UC), the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) systems are invited to compete to register the most students to vote.

Since the Ballot Bowl launched, 94 campuses have registered in the competition, including all 23 CSU campuses, all 10 UC campuses, 51 CCC, and 10 AICCU campuses.

"College students are excited and motivated to turn out to vote,” said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. “Not only have we seen a dramatic increase in the voter registration numbers of California college students compared to previous election years, but we’ve also seen 94 California university and college campuses take the initiative to join the Ballot Bowl, and encourage their students to register and vote.”

"I’m thrilled to see the record-shattering numbers of California college students registering to vote this election year," said Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. "Thanks to the leadership of students and universities across the state, the California Student Vote Project is making huge progress in encouraging student civic engagement and promoting a democracy that is more inclusive of students.”

Registering to vote is the first step in engaging in the democratic process. If you haven’t already done so, please make a plan to vote. You can return your ballot by mail—using the prepaid postage return envelope—or in-person to any official drop box, voting location, or elections office. Official secure ballot drop boxes and early voting locations can be found at CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov.

To visit the California Students Vote Project page,  and ensure your college or university is registered to participate, click here.

To view the Student Voter Resource guide, click here.

Tips for Voters

  • Missed the voter registration deadline? California offers same-day voter registration at all county elections offices, polling places and vote centers. Find a site at CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov.
  • Make a plan to vote. Find official ballot drop boxes and early voting locations at CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov.
  • Need to research the statewide ballot measures? Visit VoterGuide.sos.ca.gov for arguments for and against each measure, as well as nonpartisan analysis.
  • Sign-up for vote-by-mail ballot tracking at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov. You can receive automatic notifications about the status of your ballot by text message, email, or voice call.

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