Students learned about the various propositions and candidates on the ballot, while also getting a chance to pet and spend time with the Otter Pups Team at the Puppies and Policies event in the Otter Student Union Rookery last week.
“People came for the dogs and stayed for the policies,” said Jasmine Torres, who helped put the event together as a part of Associated Students
The event hosted about 15 people who were able to listen to presenter and fourth-year Humanities and Communications major Tom Nolan explain the intricacies of everything voters need to be aware of.
Nolan writes as a journalist for CalMatters, a nonprofit news outlet. He is in their College Journalism Network and is the senior staff writer for the Lutrinae.
“Young people do vote at very low rates compared to other age groups,” said Nolan, “so we are looking to turn out that vote and mobilize young people to vote in the upcoming election.”
While the dogs were a big draw for some people, the event also looked for an engaging way to get students interested and involved. One of the ways they used to educate voters about what’s on their ballot was through a Kahoot game, adding a more accessible entry to the conversation.
Torres, a third-year double major in molecular biology and psychology, said she thought it was crucial that voters get the information they need to inform their decisions on the ballot from a reliable source. A source like CalMatters, “that does not have a party affiliation or designated preference that’s giving me as much factual information as possible,” said Torres.
The best part about hosting this event for her, was seeing the purpose of hosting Puppies and Policies be fulfilled. “It was amazing to see so many people come and feel engaged in the process.
The election is on Tuesday and while the deadline for mailing in your ballots has passed, there are other ways to ensure that your vote is heard. There are three polling centers that you can vote at on Election Day before 8 p.m. near campus:
Marina Community Center: 211 Hillcrest Ave, Marina CA 93933 (3.5 miles from campus); Nancy Dodd Community Center: 3043 Carmel Ave, Marina CA 93933 (2 miles from campus); Seaside Community Center: 220 Coe Ave, Seaside CA 93955 (3 miles from campus)