News

Countdown to Election Day

by Chrissy Zehrbach
Editor in Chief
photography by Adam Omernik

With the election only four days away, most students at the University of La Verne have made their decisions and are getting ready to head to the polls to cast their votes for President.

In an informal survey conducted this week, 50 ULV students – 27 women and 23 men – were asked about registration status, party affiliation and the votes they would be casting on Nov. 2.

Of the 50 students surveyed while wandering campus Tuesday, 38 said they were registered to vote (76 percent).

The remaining 12 students who were not registered gave varied reasons, from forgetting to register on time to a disinterest in elections and voting in general.

“It just doesn’t interest me too much,” said freshman Joey Chico, 18.

“I just haven’t gotten around to it. It’s not at the top of my to-do list,” said freshman criminology major Matthew Cordova, 18.

Age was a factor in registration status. Of those not registered to vote, half were 18 years old. However, 57 percent of 18-year-olds surveyed said they were registered and planning to vote in the election.

Sophomore communications major Jamie Mahoney, 18, was excited to be voting in her first presidential election and said she was planning to cast her vote for George W. Bush.

“It’s good to know that my vote will count especially in a state that is dominated by Democrats,” Mahoney said. “I think (Bush has) done as good a job as he could do with all the issues in the past four years.”

Junior public relations major Janah Valenzuela said she just recently registered to vote because her younger sister just turned 18 and was excited to vote. Valenzuela said she felt pressured to register as well, but was unsure as to where she stood.

“I want to take in as much as I can. I don’t feel I know as much as I need to know,” Valenzuela said. “I will know by Nov. 2.”

Of those registered to vote, 95 percent said they were, for sure, going to vote in the presidential election.

Based upon an informal poll of 50 University of La Verne students.
Based upon an informal poll of 50 University of La Verne students.

Only two registered student voters said they were unsure as to whether they would even cast a vote for president Nov. 2 due to indecision.

“I don’t think I have enough information to know who to vote for,” said senior child development major Veronica Garcia, 21. “I’ll try to see how much information I can get from now until Nov. 2 and if I’m comfortable with the information I have, I’ll make a decision.”

John Kerry was the front-runner among ULV students, earning 44 percent of the vote.

“I want Bush out because I think he lied. He doesn’t deserve to be in there for another four years,” said business marketing graduate student Shawn Bailey, 23.

“I think that it’s time for a change. Kerry’s viewpoints on the war in Iraq and bringing back the economy are key issues in what I’m focusing on,” said senior political science major Rosa Arcadia, 21.

Although 11 people surveyed claimed to be Democrats, only eight planned to send their vote to the Democratic candidate. One Democrat in the sample plans to vote for Bush.

Bush accounted for 36 percent of the projected ULV vote, receiving 100 percent of the votes from students claiming Republican party affiliation, according to the informal poll.

Based upon an informal poll of 50 University of La Verne students.
Based upon an informal poll of 50 University of La Verne students.

“Right now it’s a crucial time in Iraq because their new government is starting and they’re going through elections and President Bush has been supportive of that,” said senior criminology major Sarah Bushmeyer, 21. “I’m afraid that if Kerry is elected our reasoning for going into Iraq won’t be fulfilled. Kerry has expressed his inability to make a decision and it frightens me that he could represent our country.”

“I like what he’s done and I know where he’s coming from,” said senior criminology major Matt Sibert, 22. “At least with Bush you know he’s going to stand by what he says. He has so far and I think that’s important.”

Still some students remain undecided about which candidate for whom to cast their vote. Fourteen percent reported they had not yet made a decision, but still planned to vote.

“I disagree on some points with both candidates,” said freshman criminology major Daisy Aguilar, 19.

Making a decision seems to be hard for some. With pressure from friends, family and the media, some students said they find it hard to formulate their own decisions.

Senior communications major Tricia Schary, 22, said she feels conflicted because she grew up in a Republican household, but is now being exposed to the other parties.

“I want my voice to be heard, but I don’t know what exactly it is I want to be heard,” Schary said. “I’m not very informed.”

Many feel that the two party candidates do not offer a lot of choice.

Even though Ralph Nader is not on the ballot in California, freshman Adam Elmayan, 19, plans to write in a vote for him on his ballot.

“I want another choice,” Elmayan said. “I don’t like either mainstream candidate because they are too similar.”

Junior business major Sergio Cazorla did not like the options either, but chose what he thought was “the lesser of two evils”

“I’m voting for Kerry just because I don’t want Bush to be in office,” Cazorla said. “I don’t think Kerry’s good enough to take the job, but he’ll do a better job than Bush.”

Registered voters without a party affiliation constituted 47 percent of the sample, with 44 percent giving their vote to Kerry and 17 percent to Bush. Indecision still pervaded 22 percent of that group.

Despite indecision and lack of choices, most registered voters agreed that getting their voice heard and making their vote to count was important, especially for college-aged adults.

“We have all the information. Our demographic in the college area – we are the ones who can really make a change,” said junior broadcasting major William Catlett, 22, who was awaiting an absentee ballot from Virginia. “We tend to speak up more than younger and older people.”

A common sentiment was that if you do not vote, you cannot complain.

“I’m a big supporter that if you don’t vote you can’t complain; so I won’t vote and I wont complain,” said junior communications major Matt Cornell, 20. “One vote isn’t that big a deal.”

But to many on campus, that one vote is a very big deal.

Arcadia said it was ignorant for young adults to not vote and that by not voting people cannot choose representatives whose decisions will affect them directly. “In the end they’re just hurting themselves by not voting,” she said.

“We’re going to be the movers and shakers,” Bailey said. “We’re going to need to help set the foundation for the future. It’s our right, we might as well take it.”

Chrissy Zehrbach can be reached at sqweet@aol.com.

‘I don’t know so much if I don’t like Kerry, I don’t like some of the Democratic policies.’ –Linda Bays, sophomore
‘I don’t know so much if I don’t like Kerry, I don’t like some of the Democratic
policies.’
–Linda Bays, sophomore
‘I want Bush out because I think he lied. He doesn’t deserve to be in there for another four years.’ –Shawn Bailey, graduate student
‘I want Bush out because I think he lied. He doesn’t deserve to be in there for another four years.’
–Shawn Bailey, graduate student
‘If (non voters) had a problem with the government, they would have no way to complain because they didn’t try to do anything about it. –Angela Busch, senior
‘If (non voters) had a problem with the government, they would have no way to complain because they didn’t try to do anything about it.
–Angela Busch, senior
‘At least with Bush you know he’s going to stand by what he says.’ –Matt Sibert, senior
‘At least with Bush you know he’s going to stand by what he says.’
–Matt Sibert, senior
‘The way (Kerry) looks at America we’re all as one. I don’t think Bush sees that.’ –William Catlett, junior
‘The way (Kerry) looks at America we’re all as one. I don’t think Bush sees that.’
–William Catlett, junior
‘I want to take in as much as I can. I don’t feel I know as much as I need to know. I will know by Nov. 2.’ –Janah Valenzuela, junior
‘I want to take in as much as I can. I don’t feel I know as much as I need to know. I will know by Nov. 2.’
–Janah Valenzuela, junior
‘It’s good to know that my vote will count especially in a state that is dominated by Democrats.’ –Jamie Mahoney, sophomore
‘It’s good to know that my vote will count especially in a state that is dominated by Democrats.’
–Jamie Mahoney, sophomore
‘I want to know more about each party before I make a decision.’ –Tricia Schary, senior
‘I want to know more about each party before I make a decision.’
–Tricia Schary, senior
‘It’s important to get your voice heard.’ –Norma Serrano, freshman
‘It’s important to get your voice heard.’
–Norma Serrano, freshman
‘I don’t think Kerry’s good enough to take the job, but he’ll do a better job than Bush.’ –Sergio Cazorla, junior
‘I don’t think Kerry’s good enough to take the job, but he’ll do a better job than Bush.’
–Sergio Cazorla, junior

Voting Essentials

The General Election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 2. The deadline has already passed to register to vote, but for registered voters, here is some information courtesy of the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to help answer any election questions or problems:

• Your should have received your sample ballot in the mail. This packet will supply you with details on all candidates, propositions and measures, which will appear on the ballot. This information can also be viewed at www.lavote.net.

• Your polling place should be printed on your sample ballot. If you have misplaced it you can check your polling location at www.lavote.net/voter/where_vote.htm or call (800) 815-2666.

• County election polling location hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. However some polls may close at 7 p.m. Consult your sample ballot for your polling hours.

• Punch card ballots will not be used in this election. A demonstration of InkaVote voting procedures will be provided prior to receiving your ballot.

• If you registered to vote for the first time since Jan. 1, you may be asked to present a form of identification at the poll. A driver’s license, state ID card, military ID, current utility bill or bank statement or voter registration card are all acceptable documents.

• If voting by absentee ballot, you should have already received it in the mail. Absentee ballots must be received by the county accepting the vote by Nov. 2. For Absentee/Vote-by-Mail Ballot inquiries call (562) 466-1323.

• Today is the last day to participate in Touchscreen Early Voting at various Los Angeles County polling locations. Consult www.lavote.net for a list of locations.

• To verify registration status and for all General Election information call (562) 466-1310. Additional voting information for the State of California can be viewed at ss.ca.gov.

Chrissy Zehrbach, Editor in Chief
Chrissy Zehrbach
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Adam Omernik, Photography Editor
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